Government saves PhP205 million from GEMP

With the acceleration of the Government Energy Management Program (GEMP) implementation, the government has reached a cumulative electricity savings of PhP205 million or an equivalent of over 20 million kWh as of the first quarter of 2023, the Department of Energy (DOE) said Tuesday.

The regular conduct of energy audits and spot checks also increased the awareness of government entities which encouraged them to adopt energy efficiency and conservation by reducing expenditures on fuel and electric utility services.

The GEMP implementation is guided by the Inter-Agency Energy Efficiency and Conservation Committee (IAEECC) created by Republic Act (RA) No. 11285 or the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act. It aims to reduce the whole government’s electricity and fuel consumption by at least 10% through energy efficiency and conservation (EE&C) strategies.

Prior to the EEC Act, the government’s cumulative electricity savings stood at 5 million kWh, equivalent to over Php51 million. As of the first quarter of 2023, the cumulative savings quadrupled, reaching 20 million kWh or Php205 million.

The EEC Act, enacted on 12 April 2019, seeks to institutionalize EEC and grant incentives to EEC projects. Its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) was signed on 22 November 2019 and became effective on 21 December 2019.

IAEECC is empowered to prepare an annual assessment of opportunities for energy cost reduction in state-owned and leased buildings and facilities and mandating the adoption of energy-efficient measures and technologies. This includes the use of light-emitting diode (LED) lamps, inverter-type air-conditioners, and other energy-efficient technologies in government facilities.

The EE&C Public Sector Management Division of the DOE – Energy Utilization Management Bureau is mandated to conduct energy audits and spot checks under the EEC Act and targets a minimum of 100 annual energy audits. At the same time, it authorized third-party auditors, such as the Philippine National Oil Company-Renewable Corporation (PNOC-RC), which assisted in the conduct of energy audits to reach more government entities nationwide.

“We commend the efforts of our government agencies in implementing energy efficiency measures. Small acts and what appears to be minor could indeed drive significant impact, especially when the entire bureaucracy, including the local government units (LGUs) and State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) would adopt behavioral changes and imbibe energy conservation as a way of life,” Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla said.

Meanwhile, the DOE’s adoption of a Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA) has recorded 49 percent electricity savings from its Friday work-from-home scheme. From the implementation period in February this year, a significant reduction in electricity consumption of 430,227 kWh or an estimated savings of PhP5.13 million was realized. This is even with the resumption of the use of air-cooling devices, such as air-conditioner during Fridays of the months of April and May, due to the high heat index.

This only demonstrates that the FWA arrangement and the adoption of EEC best practices work and deliver positive results for the government and its employees.

In the IAEECC Meeting held on 23 March 2023, the DOE has proposed to the Committee a resolution that encourages the adoption of FWA for all government entities as part of the GEMP to minimize the impact of steep global prices of petroleum products, reduce the consumption of the whole government of both electricity and fuel, and alleviate traffic congestion.