What is your Electric Bill like ?

@Cherryann01
PHP 9000 (£138) per month?! Sounds like your GF is taking you for the proverbial 'scenic tour' First Class. The average annual energy bill in the UK last year was about £1,200. (Circa $1600 - using Big Mac index figures as £ in freefall )
I would ask to see the bill. You could be funding an extravagant lifestyle for her and ahem the extended family (including the neighbours and their neighbours )
I use gas central heating (80% of UK households use gas) so I am going to get clobbered this year by Mr Putin. My projected annual bill will be £2,800 (-£400 govt subsidy) so will be paying more than double from last year but I have a 3 bedroom property and do like a warm house.
-@Lotus Eater

I made it very very clear to her that I would not pay her Electricity Bill, whatever the amount. She did send me a screen shot of the bill at the time of asking but I said no and deleted it. I agree it is a large bill for over there but I have seen people on this thread commenting that they pay more.

I am still not paying it though.

4300p... 1 - 1h.p. air con on 24/7, and a 1/2 h.p. air con on maybe 30 hours. Grant it... that was for about 20 days... was in Bangkok,  and Palawan for last few days of last bill, and 10 days of this bill

We cut our electric bill in half this month by running one A/C at a time. We ran the ground floor unit in the day time and the master bedroom unit at night. I also cut back on the pool filter run time and my wife helped out by using mostly solar lights.

Our bill this month is P11,836 for 604 KWHs so the rate came down a little also. That's about P19.6 per KWH compared to over P21 per KWH last month. Last month we paid P24,979 for 1,186 KWHs.

15 K pesos per month on average

My last bill (Sep) was 1070 kWH for 14,774.18 pesos. I should b e finished with my new solar power system this week so after the Oct bill I should be wayyyyyy down.

@pilotdrh Would love to hear how it went... Did you build your own solar system, or a service did it?

@Moon Dog wow... big improvement!  Congrats!

Our first month at the new Beach house was 4,500p... Half way though I switched all the old halogen lights in the kitchen and dine with led... and also added a new split air con in master(run about 10 hours a night... will update next month

@Wellsfry Once I finally decided I wanted to put one in I gave myself an education. Then I requested quotes from 3 different installers and told them what I wanted. They all come back with boilerplate quotes. So I designed my own system, ordered everything and installed and wired it myself. My biggest problem was getting the ground screws for the ground mount put in (I didn't want panels on the roof). I finally found a place that had the machine for putting them in...they wanted ₱30k pesos per day, ok, I can deal. But then they wanted ₱120k to deliver it on a flatbed! Nope, no way. So I installed 'em manually...that's work. Then once I had the ground mount assembled my wife brought 3 cousins and her brother and they put all the panels up, 86 lbs each, 30 of them. Then they did concrete piers around the lower part of each ground screw (I used round trash cans for the forms). So now I'm waiting for some cables I'm using to connect between the panels, put those in, tie the inverter into the utility and start it up. Hopefully all done in a couple of days. 21kWp of panels, 16 kW DEYE Hybrid Inverter, 30 kWH of batteries.

https://app.photobucket.com/u/pilotdrh/ … 7b9ffb66ab

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We used an electric oven last month and our bill went up from 10,000 to 11,000. i think we will to back to gas.

@Timo62 Ours has been running about 15k a month. We have twins, boy and a girl, 10. Microwave, coffee maker, kettle, electric oven, washing machine, heatpump dryer. 7 split inverter aircons ( 1 is 1.5 hp, the rest 1 hp) 3 floor standing 3 TR aircons. My inlaws just use a fan and not their aircon. Usually only the 1.5 and one of the 1 hp aircons are on. Water heaters in all the bathrooms except the 1/2 bath. My daughter takes a shower for about 30 minutes every day, she loves it. My son helps make up for that by only taking about 5 minutes it seems. We also have a large combo fridge freezer and a standup freezer, both are inverter type. So all in all I think my bill is very reasonable.

@Moon Dog thanks for putting the amount per kWh. IMO, that's more important than the total.

BTW, we paid a little over 16 pesos per kwh in the Dipolog, Mindanao area.

@pilotdrh great info , thanks

My latest bill yesterday from Meralco.

Usage 912 KWH

Bill  P10,101

Cost per KWH P11.8

My latest bill yesterday from Meralco.
Usage 912 KWH

Bill P10,101

Cost per KWH P11.8
-@Enzyte Bob

Wow, mine was 13.81 pesos per kWH.

You guys are doing well, my latest electricity bill is 18.27 pesos per Kwh.

A far cry from when we first came here a few years ago at around 10 pesos per Kwh, every one around the world is feeling these price hikes but as said I wish I was paying what you guys are.

My bill was 10,500 pesos but compounded from the old 4 to 5K bills because we have 7 to 8 live in workers in the bunk house with a 9 cubic foot fridge, electric kettle, 2 large rice cookers, lights on all night, extra load for the water pump, phone and gadget charging etc.

The cost of solar panels and batteries is looking more realistic these days.

Cheers, Steve.

There is another aspect regarding electrical energy. The choice now is make your own or buy it. While this argument goes on, manufacturers are designing more efficient devices. Appliances that are more efficient and use less power. Yes future higher purchased electric costs, but lower consumption.

Will there be a time after going all on a professional installation ($$$) will be more costly than purchasing your electrical power?

With your professional instillation how many years will it take to recover the cost? Will you still be alive or own the property before the installation is paid for?

Given the figures Bob? Depends on the individual needs I'm sure, some live on 1 - 250 watt panel while pigs like me want 10 to 15Kw of solar and back up batteries, 1 to 1.2 M pesos.

Given the global fuel/energy prices my now electricity bill of 10,500 pesos per month will surely get worse and think rise, imagining the next bill will be 11 to 12K PHP so makes spending a million plus pesos on a stand alone system viable given that electricity prices won't drop in the near future (opportunism in an unregulated country etc).

In the next year or two I will buy an electric car to replace the now 3 year old petrol car and charge it with the excess power generated by the sun, run the A/C in the master B/R all night, the refrigerator and minor appliances in the house and with the rising price of electricity and fossil fuels ongoing (history), replacing recyclable batteries every 6 to 8 years will become part of our lives and will eventually become a lot cheaper than buying grid power given the current push to reduce green house gases and rising oceans etc. What are we leaving our children and their children?

If you can afford it get off the grid and the monopolies taking your hard earnt dollars/Pesos.

OMO. (There it is again Bob).

Cheers, Steve.

@bigpearl My system is approx Php 1.2 million. It seems that many people undersize their systems. They plan on actually harvesting the rated load, which is infrequent. They also do not include capacity for charging their battery. And from what I read on the forums most DIY folks are not doing net metering because they give a miniscule credit for your power but they're selling your power and making money. Also it seems it can end up costing Php 50k or more to get it setup. I'm just doing grid tied myself.

I look at it as an investment, both for myself and for my family. Plus I enjoyed the project, except for the ground screws!

Yeah the ground screws, no escaping that here. No matter what you want to do.

I had a 5Kw grid tied system in Australia for 5 plus years and a third of the price compared to PH. Reduced my electricity bill there by over one third, ROI under 3 years then in front.

Here it's 6 to 10 years for ROI depending on system size. The prices have dropped for solar systems here over the years in PH but in reality? Still not palatable to the average Filipino nor myself yet. They never heard of carbon credits etc.

Net metering here from what I read (Luelco is 5.8 pesos sell back) and as said in another post they are charging me 18.27 per Kwh, go figure, best to buy the right size array and batteries to suit your needs and get off the grid and help save the planet if you can afford.

The bonus is when the grid goes down you still have your A/C and lights on.

Cheers, Steve.

Ours remained below 3K, barely. 2945p for 242 KWh. So 12.17 per KWh, up a bit. But more laundry and ironing with son back in school. NORECO II, on Negros.. newer, efficient smaller home, two people as I'm currently stateside.. not much AC usage.

Nice job on cutting your usage, Moondog. I suspect some are paying higher per KWh due to typical tiered rates, as is common in the US. No discounts these days for those who use above average. But also big variances by location it seems.

@bigpearl My system works out to USD $0.85 per PV watt for materials, $1.03 including shipping.

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Pilotdrh I remember when it was $4.50 - 5.00 /watt just for the panels.. 2002 time frame.. I took some Solar classes and bought some Sharp panels.

@bigpearl My system works out to USD $0.85 per PV watt for materials, $1.03 including shipping.
https://app.photobucket.com/u/pilotdrh/ … 9155eb8bd2
-@pilotdrh

Can't log into that site unless I register.

Cheers, Steve.

Point here is I am currently using with the workers and that will be for 4 to 6 months around 20 Kwh per day which translates to me? A minimum 20 Kwh array before an electric car and charging, so as we don't drive much maybe a 25 to30 Kwh system? perhaps my off the top of the head math is wrong I will stand corrected.

An expensive purchase but more affordable once the guys leave and the works are finished, probably be back to a 15Kwh system.

My bad sorry, my 5Kwh system in OZ netted me on average 19 to 20Kwh per day, some days 16, a good day 24.

So in reality a 10 to 15 Kwh system should be plenty including charging an electric car as long as a 30 to 40% buffer in the battery bank.....

Why does no one in my area supply solar systems, all seem to be Manila.

Cheers, Steve.

@bigpearl

I ordered mine via the manufacturer through Alibaba. My ground mount was direct to the manufacturer and my battereries were with the manufacturer via Alibaba.

facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10227961055516693&set=pb.1381632259.-2207520000.&type=3

facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10227961054956679&set=pb.1381632259.-2207520000

facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10227961056156709&set=pb.1381632259.-2207520000

Maybe these FB links will work for the pics.

I did try to open your links but they don't work, nada. I have found some interesting and reputable companies in my searches over the years but none are interested in servicing my area, perhaps a business oportunity for Ben?

Cheers, Steve.

@pilotdrh Yes it seems reasonable. Where do you live? We live in Cavite near Manila. Note my name change from timo62.

@TimoTraveling Not far from you, over in Lipa.

@bigpearl
I ordered mine via the manufacturer through Alibaba. My ground mount was direct to the manufacturer and my battereries were with the manufacturer via Alibaba.
facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10227961055516693&set=pb.1381632259.-2207520000.&type=3
facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10227961054956679&set=pb.1381632259.-2207520000
facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10227961056156709&set=pb.1381632259.-2207520000
Maybe these FB links will work for the pics.
-@pilotdrh

What size solar array and batteries did you purchase and what sort of cost including freight and taxes?

Maybe I have to go that way also.

Cheers, Steve.

Steve,

Bluesun Solar Panels (30)    $6,278.00    Freight Forwarder (FF) China to Manila $760.00, any taxes and customs included. Bluesun Quad Ultra BSM700PMB6-70SDC 700 Watt Shingled Bifacial Module

UISolar ST3H Ground Mount $1,662.51    FF $506.00 Excellent product, all aluminum, all hardware and PV mounting rails and hardware included. Be sure to specify your WEEBS. Ground screws included. But you can mount the system to ballast, concrete piers or whatever.

Felicity LFOP4 Batteries (2, 15 kWH each) LPBF48300, these are on wheels, not rack or wall mounted. $4,128.00 Shipping to Manila $1,550.00 I found out later that there is a branch in the PI, Felicity Solar PH, on Facebook of course.

I didn't pay any extra taxes or customs fees.

Delivery from Manila to my house in Lipa, Batangas, including unloading and tolls (I used Transportify)    1 load was the solar panels and ground mount system, another was the batteries, total    $373.00. Very reasonable, driver and a helper. I recommend them. They also do intra island.

If you can afford it get off the grid and the monopolies taking your hard earnt dollars/Pesos.

OMO. (There it is again Bob).

Cheers, Steve.
-@bigpearl

Agree on making these initial investments not only into solar system set ups (in trying to get off the grid)...but also looking at the many new low energy consumption especially "inverter tech" type Refridgeration/Aircon systems.

Yep MW and led lighting, my whole house, Linear inverter fridge/freezer 22 to 24 cubic feet, 4 dual inverter A/C's etc.

It makes more sense to me now given the (Luelco) price hikes to actually invest in an off grid system even with an 8 to 10 year ROI and no brown/black outs. But one has to factor in battery replacement every 6 to 8 years over saving the planet from the abuse over the last hundred plus years, you know, future generations, perhaps a guilt trip for my piggish baby boomer life.

Cheers, Steve.

@bigpearl I think the battery life will, hopefully, be much longer than that. The LiFePo batteries for new cells are generally rated for 6k cycles with a DoD of 80%. And even past that it's not like they're dead then. I used to work on UPS systems with lead acid batteries, lots of regular maintenance requirements.

My October bill is Php 14151.51, 913 kWH = 15.5 pesos per kWH. My solar system has been online about a week. My usage in Aug, 1114 kWH, Sep, 1070...may the downward trend continue. I have it set to run on battery when solar isn't providing power. So far it's working fine. And it's nice that the sun is usually up with fairly clear skies in the morning and recharging the batteries in 3 - 4 hours plus powering the house.

I will install off grid sustainable renewable for the right reasons, i.e. to reduce costs and to get through brownouts, not because of a false narrative intended to make me feel guilty about the environment; guilt is how people and cults manipulate and control others. Cost savings and dislike of brownouts are sufficient to manipulate my behavior. And the grid will still  be my primary or secondary source of supply. Right now the unreliable grid costs me 15K per month so we are talking about a large solar installation.

@danfinn Exactly why I put my 21 kWp system in, future billing and reliability. Our service is fairly reliable but today it went out 0500 to 0700, came back for about 10 minutes and went out again for 20. Then it went out again about 5 hrs later (a few minutes ago). With my batteries we don't even get a blink. But I did find out once I put this in that on an outage our internet stays up.

Guilt trips or no, My primary reason to spend lots of dollars are the same as yours, long term investment with the bonus of not having the A/C and internet fail,,,, yet again through power outages and live as we want.

I already mentioned in another post here or another site that my electricity now is over 18 Pesos per Kwh and I'm sure the up going price won't stop, simply makes economic sense.

As a late baby boomer I also see the ravages now thrust upon a world (our world) that I took for granted all my life as most here did, no reflection on what I/we created for my kids nor the progeny that follows. simply used.

Economically solar is the winner if you have the bucks and the more people that isolate themselves from a fossil fuel dependent existence the better for future generations, our children and theirs.

Watching the news as we all do I see that Australia has the most solar panels on roofs per capita than all other countries, I went solar there some 8/9 years ago and my investment (grid tied) took less than 3 years to see my money back. Sentimental /feel good absolutely non political simply economic sense and the bonus? Less emissions.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

My electric bill was about 2000 peso per month for the pass 1 year.

My electric bill was about 2000 peso per month for the pass 1 year.
-@Richard Yan

$35 a month?