Earth Hour Philippines 2010 - How much did I save last night?

It was my first time to participate in this activity since it started in 2007 in Sidney Australia. It was a good thing the Barangay Officials went around to remind everybody of the event, not everyone participated though, or should I say, not everyone cared enough. Well, lots of people still do not know what is happening around even if it is already happening in front of their eyes.

So how much did I save? Not much. With only very few lights and appliances at the house, I would say only about 2 to 3 pesos, maybe less. You too can estimate your savings. Here is how you can do it:

1. Find your appliances' or lights' kW rating on the appliance plate usually located at the back.
2. Add the kW rating of all appliances and lights turned off during the Earth Hour.
3. Multiply to 1 hour and you get total kWh saved.
4. Check your electric bill to estimate the cost per kWh. You may estimate cost/kWh by dividing your bill by the total kWh consumed. You should get around 8 to 9 pesos per kWh or at least near these amounts.
5. Multiply result of number three by what you get in number 4.

Mathematically, your savings should be

• Money Saved = Total kW * Hours Turned Off * Cost Per kWh

And your cost per kWh should be

• Cost Per kWh = Bill Amount / kWh Consumed

So how much did you save? Probably not enough to justify an hour of darkness, risking mosquito bites outside, and missing Pilipinas Got Talent on TV.

Well, the Earth Hour is not about saving money at all. It is about making a statement to the whole world (including your unaware neighbors) and to the leaders of countries throughout the planet that we as individuals and businesses are willing to contribute in saving the Earth. Cooling the Planet Blog explains Earth Hour in more details. You may also check the Philippine Earth Hour Official Website here.