The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said today its personnel and systems are ready to immediately respond to the possible impact of Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae), which is expected to affect portions of its franchise area over the long weekend that coincides with the commemoration of All Saints’ Day.
“We are one with the nation in observing All Saints’ Day. While Meralco Business Centers will be closed from October 31 to November 1 which are declared as special non-working holidays, we would like to assure our customers that Meralco personnel will be on standby 24/7 to respond to any troubles and concerns related to our facilities,” Meralco Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications Joe R. Zaldarriaga said.
“For a worry-free long weekend, we urge our customers to continue practicing electrical safety and energy efficiency measures,” Zaldarriaga added.
In case of flooding, Meralco gave safety tips on using electrical devices and appliances.
- Ensure that the main electrical power switch or circuit breaker is off. Be sure to be dry when being in contact with any electrical facility.
- Unplug appliances from wall sockets. Turn off permanently connected equipment and unscrew all light bulbs if possible.
- Remove mud and dirt from service equipment or main circuit breaker/fuse and its enclosure using rubber gloves and rubber-soled shoes.
- Make sure that all electrical wires, connectors, and other wiring devices are completely dry.
- When all electrical wires and accessories have dried and are clean, the wiring system of all appliances must be checked by a licensed electrician. Do not turn on flood-damaged electrical appliances.
Meralco also urged the public to keep all channels of communication open and charge mobile phones, laptops, radios, and other communication gadgets.
It added that simple energy efficiency practices will help electricity end-users to manage their consumption better. These include turning off appliances when not in use, especially when going away for several days, unless the appliances are designed to stay on such as refrigerators.
Through the Appliance Calculator available in the Meralco Mobile App, the distributor empowers its customers to know how much their gadgets and appliances consume, which in turn will help them stay in control and manage their monthly budget better.
Customers can also save on energy consumption when energy efficiency practices are done right. For instance, keeping the airconditioning unit (ACU) on when leaving the house for only an hour is 17% more cost-efficient because by turning it off, the ACU compressor works harder to cool the room again leading to an increase in consumption.
For more energy efficiency and typhoon safety tips, customers may visit the Meralco website at www.meralco.com.ph. To report power outages and other concerns, customers may reach Meralco through its social media accounts on Facebook (www.facebook.com/meralco) and Twitter (@meralco). They may also text their concerns to 0920-9716211 or 0917-5516211, or contact the Meralco Hotline at 16211 and 8631-1111.