# Electricity costs.



## Tiz (Jan 23, 2016)

Hi,

Just wondering what people are paying each month for electricity.

My bill in a 50 square metre condo is approx 2,500 per month .

A friend lives in a 6 bedroom house but says "we use power sparingly. Only one aircon is used, and that only at night."

His monthly bill is approx 15,000 per month. seems outrageous to me...
Whats yours?


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Tiz said:


> Hi,
> 
> Just wondering what people are paying each month for electricity.
> 
> ...


Hey Tiz, 15K does sound outrageous indeed, perhaps the neighbours are hooked in as well.
We had a 90M2 condo in Manila some years ago, the A/C in the main bedroom went on religiously for 8 to 10 hours set at 24 degrees as our bedroom wall copped all the west sun, occasionally in the living area in the afternoon if we vegged out and watched tv but not often. Our bill was 2.5 to 3K per month.
BTW we had electric water heaters in both bathrooms. Cooker was gas.

Cheers, Steve.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

We live in a small two bedroom home and have just one air conditioner. It runs just about 24/7 and our bill runs about P5,000 per month. Sometimes even P6,000. It changes monthly without rhyme or reason.


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Asian Spirit said:


> We live in a small two bedroom home and have just one air conditioner. It runs just about 24/7 and our bill runs about P5,000 per month. Sometimes even P6,000. It changes monthly without rhyme or reason.


A little off topic but my bill in Oz used to be about 700 Aussie dollars a quarter so 233 bucks a month translated about PHP 9K per month, our biggest killer is large the wet edge pool running 2 x 1100 watt pumps, electric hot water and a couple of A/C units that don't get used very often. 4 years ago we installed grid tied solar, best investment as our bills are now around 200 Aussie bucks a quarter,,,,,, some 2,600 pesos per month. looking to go this road when we settle in PH though given the initial outlay there will take 6 years to break even and then save where in oz it only took a little over 2 years.

I am not a solar seller and only relating my experiences.

Cheers, Steve.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

We have one Air Conditioner ran only when hot and even then only from 2 - 4 hrs at night, hot and cold water dispenser, large side by side fridge and about 7 fans and an electric water pump it supplies all our water and our bill comes up to 5,500 peso's in the cooler seasons the electrical bill will be 4,000 pesos.

Tiz your friend probably runs his AC unit all night long and also might have both a fridge and freezer and if not someone for sure is tapped into his line, this has happened to me before because my bill a couple decades ago with no Airconditioner and tiny fridge was 10,000 a month, found out a couple years later the in-laws and their neighbors were all connected so the only fix we could do according to our electrical company was to have them connect us into a different spot with a whole new concrete tower, so now we use both concrete electrical line connections as our gate.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

bigpearl said:


> A little off topic but my bill in Oz used to be about 700 Aussie dollars a quarter so 233 bucks a month translated about PHP 9K per month, our biggest killer is large the wet edge pool running 2 x 1100 watt pumps, electric hot water and a couple of A/C units that don't get used very often. 4 years ago we installed grid tied solar, best investment as our bills are now around 200 Aussie bucks a quarter,,,,,, some 2,600 pesos per month. looking to go this road when we settle in PH though given the initial outlay there will take 6 years to break even and then save where in oz it only took a little over 2 years.
> 
> I am not a solar seller and only relating my experiences.
> 
> Cheers, Steve.


I like the idea of solar power myself and looked at investing in a small system. The thing other than cost that changed my mind is the local population. Many locals have pigeons and chickens that all seem to have the freedom of movement AND FLIGHT.To try and get them back the owners will often throw rocks at them. These "adults?" and even children have no thought, care, or concern for anyone's safety on the next street. Suffice it to say they would give no thought to breakable solar panels. Given the thought process of many, they may even use them for rock throwing target practice in the worst example of the "crab mentality." So unless they come out with solar panels that are not breakable or removible type that are like a flat plastic-I'm out.


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## Tiz (Jan 23, 2016)

M.C.A. said:


> your friend probably runs his AC unit all night long and also might have both a fridge and freezer and if not someone for sure is tapped into his line,


he says "we use power sparingly. Only one aircon is used, and that only at night."
He also reckons that all his neighbours bills are about the same.


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

You say 6 bedroom house - how many people live there? and if they use elec to cook would amount to quite a load along with the fact that for that many people, they wold prob have somewhat of a large or multiple refriges running, along with possible multiple TVs and such. Wouldn't seem out of line to me. Most people do not realize just how much power they consume. One compound I stayed at in Danao, you could hear the elec water pump kick on about every 15 minutes even during the night because the system leaked down the pressure so quick.

With all that being said, my bill usually runs from 1800 to 3200 Pesos per month for my little bungalow with only myself & Asawa living here with occasional visits from her daughter & Apu. No AC, we only use fans for cooling and she does use elec cooktop & medium sized refrigerator.

Fred


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## SimonAngeles (May 10, 2016)

That's crazy amount to pay, I pay about 3500 a month. That's 1 aircon running at night for 12 hours, 2 or 3 fans, fridge freezer and a swimming pool pump running a few hours a day.

Suggest to him that he switches all appliances off and look to see if the meter is still turning.


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Tiz said:


> he says "we use power sparingly. Only one aircon is used, and that only at night."
> He also reckons that all his neighbours bills are about the same.


Hey Tiz, yet again. What part of the Philippines do you live in? Or your friend with ridiculous power bills?
Read My previous post with regards to power bills and A/C usage. Sounds like your mate and his neighbours are getting diddled big time.
At 15K per month it would be worth considering a stand alone power system if you have the money to spare initially.

Cheers, Steve.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Electrical bill*



Tiz said:


> he says "we use power sparingly. Only one aircon is used, and that only at night."
> He also reckons that all his neighbours bills are about the same.


The old meters have dials and can be manipulated I found out because my Electrical company Meralco came out and performed an audit so they asked everyone for their last 3 months of billing we got to keep our old style meter but every single one of my neighbors and in-laws were switched with a digital meter it can't be manipulated, my neighbor across the street only paid 500 peso's a month he bragged before this and he has an electrical pump and fridge but no AC unit, that all changed and I'm not sure what his bill is like now, but if you ask the neighbors don't expect an honest answer especially if they are milking the system.

Another issue is if you have too many people in your home the costs could add up especially 6 bedrooms plus using electricity for cooking such a large bunch.


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## Tiz (Jan 23, 2016)

bigpearl said:


> Hey Tiz, yet again. What part of the Philippines do you live in? Or your friend with ridiculous power bills?
> Read My previous post with regards to power bills and A/C usage. Sounds like your mate and his neighbours are getting diddled big time.
> At 15K per month it would be worth considering a stand alone power system if you have the money to spare initially.
> 
> Cheers, Steve.


Yes. I'm in a condo in BGC. He lives in a gated community in Cavite.

He's looking into going solar, thats how the conversation came up.
The solar system is to avoid the brown outs and black outs as much as saving on bills.


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## Tukaram (Dec 18, 2014)

We run 2 houses on one meter. Uncle's house has lights, 1 fan, a TV, and a fridge. They do not turn any lights on until dark.

Our house has a fridge, 2 fans, TV, computer, and we run a small window unit aircon 8 hrs, at night (on a timer).

The total bill is usually p4,000-p5,000. Last month was the largest bill ever; it was p6,200.


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## Tiz (Jan 23, 2016)

Tukaram said:


> Last month was the largest bill ever; it was p6,200.


This last month was my largest bill also php3,360.
I know I was running the air-con more than usual.


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## Manitoba (Jun 25, 2014)

25 sq m one bedroom apartment in Jazz Residence Makati. Watched what I used, lights and ac off when not there but used aircon when I was there. Laptop plugged ain and running most of the time, not much TV watching.

Range was 1900 to 2400 for six months ending in March.


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## JRB__NW (Apr 8, 2015)

I'm in a 60 sq m tower condo with balcony and split AC here in Cebu. Have a good breeze so winter bills are low (2K), mostly for hot water and fridge, but in summer I use the AC frequently and it hits 6K for a few months before tapering back down again. I find it is important to have the AC units cleaned annually as it really makes a difference on the bill.


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## JRB__NW (Apr 8, 2015)

Steve, I think solar is awesome if you're going to be in the place for awhile, both for hot water (solar thermal) and electricity (PV). In the US our electric bills have a "tiered rate" - the rate goes up as you use more, and also some states meter higher during high load periods (summer afternoons for example). So even a small solar electric system clips off the most expensive part of the bill and pays back rapidly. Not sure if rates are tiered like that here, or how amenable the utilities are for grid tied systems.

On an interesting side note, I was reading in the Wall Street Journal yesterday that renewable power generation now has double the investment worldwide ($300B annually) of all other types combined (coal, gas, oil, nuclear). Not because of incentives but because the actual cost of the solar and wind power generation (plants and equipment) has finally come down to a lower cost per Gigawatt in most parts of the world. And smart grids and storage have improved significantly as well. Good news for the planet.


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## hogrider (May 25, 2010)

Our house is 155 sq.m. We have 4 slit type inverter AC units, plus water heaters, large fridge, big TV, washing machine used daily. Our monthly bill is between 5 to 6,ooo monthly.


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## cyberfx1024 (May 21, 2015)

JRB__NW said:


> Steve, I think solar is awesome if you're going to be in the place for awhile, both for hot water (solar thermal) and electricity (PV). In the US our electric bills have a "tiered rate" - the rate goes up as you use more, and also some states meter higher during high load periods (summer afternoons for example). So even a small solar electric system clips off the most expensive part of the bill and pays back rapidly. Not sure if rates are tiered like that here, or how amenable the utilities are for grid tied systems.
> 
> On an interesting side note, I was reading in the Wall Street Journal yesterday that renewable power generation now has double the investment worldwide ($300B annually) of all other types combined (coal, gas, oil, nuclear). Not because of incentives but because the actual cost of the solar and wind power generation (plants and equipment) has finally come down to a lower cost per Gigawatt in most parts of the world. And smart grids and storage have improved significantly as well. Good news for the planet.


What's funny is that some states(California) on most days actually have more power being generated during the day than is being used. So they are having to build large power banks to save that power during the day for nighttime usage. They are also selling the power to other states as well. 

But on another note my former coworker lives in a city that is literally surrounded by solar panels but pays very high power bills even with those solar panels surrounding the city. He finally went solar a couple months to save on the $3-400+ a month power bills.


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## JRB__NW (Apr 8, 2015)

California is very sensitive to the need to reduce fossil fuel consumption and find alternative power sources as the Sierra snowpack melts earlier now due to warmer Spring weather. Hence the hydropower which provides a sizeable percentage of their power runs low sooner in the year.


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## expatuk2016 (Mar 20, 2016)

We live in Los Banos on the Edge of Laguna De Bay which helps now and then with cool breezes our Meralco bill last month was 2700 pesos thats running 2 fridges,2 rice cookers , a 2000 watt kettle, cctv 24/7, a split aircon 1hp , which runs for average 12 hours a day a 240 volt fan running on 110 volts in the living room which is quieter and still cools the room, a large industrial fan downstairs in the dining and kitchen area, all our light bulbs are 3w our average cost is 45-50 pesos daily overall which im happy with, 15,000 is a bit over the top ! Methinks he needs to
Follow the power lines from his meter to his home, all our outside power cables are run through plastic piping after
The Meters to the 3 indvidual homes. And well away from neighbours !


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## Manitoba (Jun 25, 2014)

expatuk2016 said:


> ... Methinks he needs to
> Follow the power lines from his meter to his home, all our outside power cables are run through plastic piping after
> The Meters to the 3 indvidual homes. And well away from neighbours !


Turning the main power switch on and of to see where the lights go on and off is a quick way to see if there are any other connections are on your system.


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## Alan Hill (Nov 26, 2016)

I live in a 3 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment in Angeles City. We average P5,000 a month for electricity. We have one AC in the bedroom that runs about 14 hours a day, a few fans, rice cooker, refrigerator, laptop, water heaters in both bathrooms and two TV's. Wife also leaves the lights on all the time, strange since she grew up in rural Masbate where they still do not have electricity.

I have had apartments all around Angeles since 2002 and have paid between P2500 and the current P5000. P15,000 seems way too high.

Alan


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

Alan Hill said:


> I live in a 3 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment in Angeles City. We average P5,000 a month for electricity. We have one AC in the bedroom that runs about 14 hours a day, a few fans, rice cooker, refrigerator, laptop, water heaters in both bathrooms and two TV's. Wife also leaves the lights on all the time, strange since she grew up in rural Masbate where they still do not have electricity.
> 
> I have had apartments all around Angeles since 2002 and have paid between P2500 and the current P5000. P15,000 seems way too high.
> 
> Alan


Alan, you must be on Pelco 2 for your power--same as us by Magalang. They really know how to charge and would guess there is no controlling agency as a watchdog to control what they charge.

Masbate??? I lived in Lagundi (Burgos) Batuan, Masbate on Ticao Island for about three years. No power, running water, or phones there either. Felt like Tarzan gathering firewood everyday for cooking. Absolutely loved the place.


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Tiz said:


> Yes. I'm in a condo in BGC. He lives in a gated community in Cavite.
> 
> He's looking into going solar, thats how the conversation came up.
> The solar system is to avoid the brown outs and black outs as much as saving on bills.


He needs a stand alone system to avoid black outs (not connected to the grid), while expensive to set up especially in PH. have many bonuses, simply no black outs or electricity bills and as the investor he will be in control not the power company. 

Many people confuse solar power with independence, Most people opt for grid tied as I have in Oz and will in PH. True independence costs a lot of money and requires vigilance and maintenance.

Cheers, Steve.


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Alan Hill said:


> I live in a 3 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment in Angeles City. We average P5,000 a month for electricity. We have one AC in the bedroom that runs about 14 hours a day, a few fans, rice cooker, refrigerator, laptop, water heaters in both bathrooms and two TV's. Wife also leaves the lights on all the time, strange since she grew up in rural Masbate where they still do not have electricity.
> 
> I have had apartments all around Angeles since 2002 and have paid between P2500 and the current P5000. P15,000 seems way too high.
> 
> Alan


Hey Alan, firstly welcome to this forum, hope you enjoy.
Your power bills seem realistic and not untoward. LOL, ask your good wife to pay the power bill and then see if the lights are turned off. Regardless lights consume little power especially if you opt for low consumption globes like LED's etc. The A/C units are the big killer and something us westerners have to deal with, I know I will and If my electricity bill is only 4 to 5K per month I will be happy.

Cheers, Steve.


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## jdavis16 (Nov 1, 2016)

Frank you live very simple. Very Smart Choice. I do the same. I live with a fan. You could also try buying a "FAN COOLER" I believe it might help a little bit on cooling the room vs using air conditioning




fmartin_gila said:


> You say 6 bedroom house - how many people live there? and if they use elec to cook would amount to quite a load along with the fact that for that many people, they wold prob have somewhat of a large or multiple refriges running, along with possible multiple TVs and such. Wouldn't seem out of line to me. Most people do not realize just how much power they consume. One compound I stayed at in Danao, you could hear the elec water pump kick on about every 15 minutes even during the night because the system leaked down the pressure so quick.
> 
> With all that being said, my bill usually runs from 1800 to 3200 Pesos per month for my little bungalow with only myself & Asawa living here with occasional visits from her daughter & Apu. No AC, we only use fans for cooling and she does use elec cooktop & medium sized refrigerator.
> 
> Fred


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

I moved here from Arizona where I lived for about 45 years, so the temp doesn't bother me so much. That said, I may look into this 'fan cooler' you mention as it does seem with mounting years, I don't like or tolerate the heat so much.

Fred


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

fmartin_gila said:


> I moved here from Arizona where I lived for about 45 years, so the temp doesn't bother me so much. That said, I may look into this 'fan cooler' you mention as it does seem with mounting years, I don't like or tolerate the heat so much.
> 
> Fred


Fred, Most places in AZ and the Southwest are bone dry at around 10% humidity or so. Using a water cooler works well there. But can you just imagine adding even more humidity to the air here that is usually 50% humidity or above? Heat bothers me too and would not be able to live or sleep in a place like that. No way in he**.


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## mogo51 (Jun 11, 2011)

Asian Spirit said:


> I like the idea of solar power myself and looked at investing in a small system. The thing other than cost that changed my mind is the local population. Many locals have pigeons and chickens that all seem to have the freedom of movement AND FLIGHT.To try and get them back the owners will often throw rocks at them. These "adults?" and even children have no thought, care, or concern for anyone's safety on the next street. Suffice it to say they would give no thought to breakable solar panels. Given the thought process of many, they may even use them for rock throwing target practice in the worst example of the "crab mentality." So unless they come out with solar panels that are not breakable or removible type that are like a flat plastic-I'm out.


As always your comments are spot on Asian Spirit. My experience in a village area is much the same. The 'all about me' syndrome is certainly prevalent here.
My neighbour's cable tv went off a week ago for no reason. Waited 3 days for supplier to come out. Turned out his kind and considerate neighbours had cut his cable and removed about 20 metres of cable they obviously needed.


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## mogo51 (Jun 11, 2011)

Asian Spirit said:


> Alan, you must be on Pelco 2 for your power--same as us by Magalang. They really know how to charge and would guess there is no controlling agency as a watchdog to control what they charge.
> 
> Masbate??? I lived in Lagundi (Burgos) Batuan, Masbate on Ticao Island for about three years. No power, running water, or phones there either. Felt like Tarzan gathering firewood everyday for cooking. Absolutely loved the place.


That would have been an interesting experience.


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## mogo51 (Jun 11, 2011)

*electricity*

We have 3 rm 2 bath townhouse, I am not an a/c fan except when it is very hot, we use fans and have 2 or 3 going constantly. We had a/c on for a few hours only last month, electricity bill was 1750 pesos.
Have all the other appliances we westerners accumulate, tv going most of the time.


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Asian Spirit said:


> I like the idea of solar power myself and looked at investing in a small system. The thing other than cost that changed my mind is the local population. Many locals have pigeons and chickens that all seem to have the freedom of movement AND FLIGHT.To try and get them back the owners will often throw rocks at them. These "adults?" and even children have no thought, care, or concern for anyone's safety on the next street. Suffice it to say they would give no thought to breakable solar panels. Given the thought process of many, they may even use them for rock throwing target practice in the worst example of the "crab mentality." So unless they come out with solar panels that are not breakable or removible type that are like a flat plastic-I'm out.


We hear you Gene but I have solar in Oz and we do get the odd hail storm here and never a broken panel. The hail storms we get damage cars, roofs, people and gardens.
We did get a doozy of a hail storm just before we installed solar panels about 4 years ago. New roofs on all the houses in the district, mind you the hail was golf ball to cricket ball size and solar panels would never have survive.
I had a look on our friend google about solar panels and hail, this could also relate to stones being thrown I suppose.

https://news.energysage.com/solar-panels-hail-hurricanes/






Solar is a huge investment and if you can't trust your neighbours then don't go there. 

Cheers, Steve.


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

mogo51 said:


> We have 3 rm 2 bath townhouse, I am not an a/c fan except when it is very hot, we use fans and have 2 or 3 going constantly. We had a/c on for a few hours only last month, electricity bill was 1750 pesos.
> Have all the other appliances we westerners accumulate, tv going most of the time.


Wow, well done Ron, your house is not small by any means and to get bills like that is amazing. I think when we move next year I will get some pointers from you to save Pisos.

Cheers, Steve.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

bigpearl said:


> We hear you Gene but I have solar in Oz and we do get the odd hail storm here and never a broken panel. The hail storms we get damage cars, roofs, people and gardens.
> We did get a doozy of a hail storm just before we installed solar panels about 4 years ago. New roofs on all the houses in the district, mind you the hail was golf ball to cricket ball size and solar panels would never have survive.
> I had a look on our friend google about solar panels and hail, this could also relate to stones being thrown I suppose.
> 
> ...


Amazing video Steve, thanks for posting that. Yea I've heard that it is a large investment. Guess I'll pass on that idea at least for now. If I hit the lottery and live in a different area I would definitely get set up with them.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

bigpearl said:


> Wow, well done Ron, your house is not small by any means and to get bills like that is amazing. I think when we move next year I will get some pointers from you to save Pisos.
> 
> Cheers, Steve.


Steve, I think Ron must use kerosene for lights and no aircon to have a power bill that low. Either that or he is good friends with someone at the power Co. Hahaha


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## mogo51 (Jun 11, 2011)

Asian Spirit said:


> Steve, I think Ron must use kerosene for lights and no aircon to have a power bill that low. Either that or he is good friends with someone at the power Co. Hahaha


My cover is blown Gene haha!!! We did go through a really hot week a couple of months ago and had the a/c every night, it went up to 2200 pesos - I was not happy!!!!


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## Tiz (Jan 23, 2016)

bigpearl said:


> We hear you Gene but I have solar in Oz and we do get the odd hail storm here and never a broken panel. The hail storms we get damage cars, roofs, people and gardens.


I had a solar hot water panel smashed by hail on my house in Queensland once.
Boxing Day (around 1990 sometime)
It was a masssive storm though.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

mogo51 said:


> My cover is blown Gene haha!!! We did go through a really hot week a couple of months ago and had the a/c every night, it went up to 2200 pesos - I was not happy!!!!


Terrible thing! I have my A/C on just about 24/7 and it really shows on the power bill. Never have tolerated the heat very well and now having the COPD I need the cooler, drier air.


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## Manitoba (Jun 25, 2014)

I leave the a/c at as high a temp setting as I can stand, usually around 26C, it will often cycle off. Having that slightly cooler temp as soon as you walk in the door makes it feel a lot cooler and once you acclimatize to it you are OK.

I'm Canadian, we like it cold. lol.

Only once so far this year have I seen temperatures here lower than at home. It was 29 here for overnight low and 30 there for daytime high. 

Environment Canada had issued heat warnings lol


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## JRB__NW (Apr 8, 2015)

Asian Spirit said:


> Terrible thing! I have my A/C on just about 24/7 and it really shows on the power bill. Never have tolerated the heat very well and now having the COPD I need the cooler, drier air.


Me too - 26C at night 28 during the day, mostly to dry the air. Being from the western US where it's dry, it's the humidity that gets me here. If it's a cool night with breezes I can go without it, but then you have to listen to all the various night sounds, haha... 

My woman refuses to use AC when I'm not here and the bill drops to around 2000p.


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## hogrider (May 25, 2010)

mogo51 said:


> We have 3 rm 2 bath townhouse, I am not an a/c fan except when it is very hot, we use fans and have 2 or 3 going constantly. We had a/c on for a few hours only last month, electricity bill was 1750 pesos.
> Have all the other appliances we westerners accumulate, tv going most of the time.


If you are not using air-con, then your consumption will be low. In comparison with running ac units for several hours each day/night, then fans, lighting, refrigerator, TV will be very low. Its the air-con thats the killer.


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## Zep (Jun 8, 2017)

Electricity - just another thing more expensive here in the PI than in the US.:confused2:


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Zep said:


> Electricity - just another thing more expensive here in the PI than in the US.:confused2:


Yes definitely agree Zep with power costs but hey so many other things are cheaper.
There are plenty of things such as white goods, electronics and cars that are on par with Australian comparisons in PH. not sure about US equivalents but from memory cars are cheaper in the US.
Apart from big ticket items, food, property rates/taxes, registration of cars and bikes, grog, smokes, employed labour, movie tickets, taxi's or tricycles, a meal in the local canteen or the street food, a massage, (without a happy ending) furniture, (not white goods) hardware supplies etc.etc. are somewhat cheaper.
Power cost in most parts of PH. can be combated and recouped with an investment in alternatives.

Cheers, Steve.


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## Zep (Jun 8, 2017)

I would say that in the US - cars, gas, electricity are cheaper. Food is cheaper in the US for things like chicken, pork , beef and anything else a westerner would eat. The only thing cheaper in the PI is rice and certain vegetables.

Some of the stuff that is cheaper ends up costing you more in the long run like hardware. The water faucets here are like 60 pesos for a plastic one or 240 for a metal one. In the US I have never seen a plastic one and the metal ones are maybe $10-$20 (500 pesos and up). But here I replace them every 6 months, in the US they last 20 years.


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Zep said:


> I would say that in the US - cars, gas, electricity are cheaper. Food is cheaper in the US for things like chicken, pork , beef and anything else a westerner would eat. The only thing cheaper in the PI is rice and certain vegetables.
> 
> Some of the stuff that is cheaper ends up costing you more in the long run like hardware. The water faucets here are like 60 pesos for a plastic one or 240 for a metal one. In the US I have never seen a plastic one and the metal ones are maybe $10-$20 (500 pesos and up). But here I replace them every 6 months, in the US they last 20 years.


One of the reasons we choose to live in PH. apart from our better halves, and I will say no more.

https://tinyurl.com/y962foah

Cheers, Steve.


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## Alan Hill (Nov 26, 2016)

My wife is from Cataingan, have visited several times and stayed for up to a month at a time. If they ever get electricity and cable/internet in the barangay, we might consider relocating. Dragging water from the well and no electric fans at night is ok for a few nights, but not the lifestyle I was looking for when I retired here!

Alan


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## JRB__NW (Apr 8, 2015)

bigpearl said:


> One of the reasons we choose to live in PH. apart from our better halves, and I will say no more.
> 
> https://tinyurl.com/y962foah
> 
> Cheers, Steve.


Well this is way off topic, so I'll just say that the comparisons in that link are way off in some respects, especially food costs. That's why I don't use Numbeo except for *very rough* comparisons - they are very subjective and open to local interpretation. 

Just sticking with food, you have locals responding to a question about a mid-range 3 course meal that is way different than a 3 course meal in the US, so Numbeo says the US is 4x higher, lol, when in reality it might be 30-40% higher for similar content and quality. And eating at home - two completely different types of diets depending on where you are. I find that eating a healthy western-style diet here that is higher in fresh veggies, nuts and a variety of whole grains is more expensive than at home and I can't get half the produce at any price that I would get there. If you eat a typical FIlipino diet it's fine though.


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## JRB__NW (Apr 8, 2015)

Zep said:


> I would say that in the US - cars, gas, electricity are cheaper. Food is cheaper in the US for things like chicken, pork , beef and anything else a westerner would eat. The only thing cheaper in the PI is rice and certain vegetables.
> 
> Some of the stuff that is cheaper ends up costing you more in the long run like hardware. The water faucets here are like 60 pesos for a plastic one or 240 for a metal one. In the US I have never seen a plastic one and the metal ones are maybe $10-$20 (500 pesos and up). But here I replace them every 6 months, in the US they last 20 years.


I agree completely with this although I would add fish and tropical fruit to the local benefits here. My woman eats a lot of fish and I Iove the fruit (although I miss fresh berries). Even meats can be cheaper here, and they're not loaded with hormones from factory farms. 

But.. there's absolutely no comparison with the excellent quality and sheer variety of produce available in the US if you want to eat a healthy western style diet that is centered on veggies of all types, fruits, nuts, berries, whole grains, etc. I can't even get half of what is a normal part of my diet there for twice the cost.

** Sorry for getting so far off track here..


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

Asian Spirit said:


> Fred, Most places in AZ and the Southwest are bone dry at around 10% humidity or so. Using a water cooler works well there. But can you just imagine adding even more humidity to the air here that is usually 50% humidity or above? Heat bothers me too and would not be able to live or sleep in a place like that. No way in he**.


Yep, I did fine with a swamp cooler in Az but certainly wouldn't attempt using one here, the fans do me nicely.

I have found that my fingers & heels do not have the skin breaks like I used to have there, the humidity surely has helped my old dried out skin. I used to have meat showing most of the time at my heels, but now they feel smooth & soft as a baby's butt.

Fred


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

JRB__NW said:


> I agree completely with this although I would add fish and tropical fruit to the local benefits here. My woman eats a lot of fish and I Iove the fruit (although I miss fresh berries). Even meats can be cheaper here, and they're not loaded with hormones from factory farms.
> 
> But.. there's absolutely no comparison with the excellent quality and sheer variety of produce available in the US if you want to eat a healthy western style diet that is centered on veggies of all types, fruits, nuts, berries, whole grains, etc. I can't even get half of what is a normal part of my diet there for twice the cost.
> 
> ** Sorry for getting so far off track here..


My bad JRB as I was the one to drift, perhaps a new topic or take up one of the many already posted, as said my fault for drifting. I just see simple things like pork in the wet market @ 200 pesos or Au the same thing 4 to 500 pesos per kilo. Beef similar if not worse in Oz.
A car to register here in OZ, about 35 to 40K PHP annually, that does not allow for comprehensive insurance, another 30K, how much in the Philippines? 4K for rego? My council rates in Oz are 140K but our house in PH only 4K. Diesel fuel is a lot cheaper in PH, We, as mentioned in another posts take the family out for dinner (Macks) when we are there, 12 to 14 people costs 6 to 7K and plenty of doggy bags to take home, Try that in OZ, triple the price.
While electricity prices may seem high in PH it is really all relative in the scheme of things and one simply needs to look at their lifestyle requirements and the budget at hand. I can say that I will definitely be running A/C in the middle of the day "siesta time" and most likely in the bedroom at night, a cost we will bear for an enjoyable lifestyle without penny pinching because many savings are found elsewhere.
Sorry for my rant (as I do) and like JRB hope I am not too far off track with electricity costs.

Cheers, Steve.


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## Manitoba (Jun 25, 2014)

The Economist Magazine uses the "Big Mac" index. They compare the price of a Big Mac across different countries. 

Here a Big Mac is about 130p.

In USA and Canada average is somewhere around $5.30 or 215p

https://www.statista.com/statistics/274326/big-mac-index-global-prices-for-a-big-mac/

Since a Big Mac is one of the few items that is pretty much identical everywhere in the world it is sold it makes for a good point of comparison. ( Cigarettes, booze and fuel are overly influenced by local tax policies that will distort the equation.)


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## JRB__NW (Apr 8, 2015)

fmartin_gila said:


> Yep, I did fine with a swamp cooler in Az but certainly wouldn't attempt using one here, the fans do me nicely.
> 
> I have found that my fingers & heels do not have the skin breaks like I used to have there, the humidity surely has helped my old dried out skin. I used to have meat showing most of the time at my heels, but now they feel smooth & soft as a baby's butt.
> 
> Fred


No kidding! I get those same cracked heels in the Southwest. Have to put lotion on my heels, lol. My skin does really well here in the humidity too, even running the AC, haha.


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## Tiz (Jan 23, 2016)

JRB__NW said:


> No kidding! I get those same cracked heels in the Southwest. Have to put lotion on my heels, lol. My skin does really well here in the humidity too, even running the AC, haha.


Every time I visit anywhere with less humidity, my legs itch like crazy.

Spent 6 weeks working in South Korea during Feb-March a few years back. It nearly drove me insane, even though I was moisturising about 4 times per day.


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## Darby Allen (Sep 22, 2014)

Tiz said:


> Hi,
> 
> Just wondering what people are paying each month for electricity.
> 
> ...


I live in a 170 sq mtr house with my wife and school-age daughter. Our Angeles Electricity Corporation bill is around P2,000/month - no aircon, but fans going night and day, and one of the bathrooms has a water heater.
My next-door-neighbour was getting huge bills; it transpired that his aircon was defective; a new one brought his bills way down.
Theft is a possibility; my wife's sister was paying over the odds until I suggested that she get the electricity board in to check her meter for accuracy. They found that a neighbour was stealing electricity and water!


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## Darby Allen (Sep 22, 2014)

Asian Spirit said:


> We live in a small two bedroom home and have just one air conditioner. It runs just about 24/7 and our bill runs about P5,000 per month. Sometimes even P6,000. It changes monthly without rhyme or reason.


I believe that when the electricity company has to carry out servicing or repairs to generators, distribution lines, etc, the cost is added to customers' bills, so you cannot rely on paying a fixed monthly charge per unit.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

Darby Allen said:


> I believe that when the electricity company has to carry out servicing or repairs to generators, distribution lines, etc, the cost is added to customers' bills, so you cannot rely on paying a fixed monthly charge per unit.


Sure seems that way. The different charges listed item by item is what gets me. For the average local customer the breakdown would not mean much. Still it seems they really know how to charge. 
Where you are on Angeles Electric you probably have very few outages. Over here by Magalang it's getting to be a serious thing with the scheduled maint outages all the time.


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## Darby Allen (Sep 22, 2014)

Asian Spirit said:


> Where you are on Angeles Electric you probably have very few outages. Over here by Magalang it's getting to be a serious thing with the scheduled maint outages all the time.


We've had fifteen power cuts this year [that I know of] ranging from 5 minutes to seven hours. If a power cut lasts more than two hours we lose our mains water as well!

This very day the power was off for ten minutes when the cables were switched from an old wooden lighting pole to a new concrete one, but I can't complain about that!


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

Darby Allen said:


> We've had fifteen power cuts this year [that I know of] ranging from 5 minutes to seven hours. If a power cut lasts more than two hours we lose our mains water as well!
> 
> This very day the power was off for ten minutes when the cables were switched from an old wooden lighting pole to a new concrete one, but I can't complain about that!


Amazing how often that happens isn't it? Must be just hotel area of Balibago that doesn't worry much about power outages. I know from where we live we can see the glow in the sky from Balibago at night when the pwr is off here and close to us. Kinda looks like Being on I-15 at night and seeing the glow from the lights of Vegas from miles away.


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## Coppyboy (Aug 24, 2015)

Tiz said:


> Hi,
> 
> Just wondering what people are paying each month for electricity.
> 
> ...


Is he paying direct to the power company or does he get the bill from the condo management company. Some of these managements charge way over the standard rate and make a good profit............


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