Power Savers

Just last week, a group of salesmen were making their rounds in our community, peddling their power saver. According to their sales pitch, their gadget can save us as much as 10 to 20 percent off of our electricity bill. Hmmm, tempting, tempting!

A visit of the several forums over the net will show different feedbacks on the product. Generally, it is rebuked as per advice of some electrical engineers and electricians. Some experienced damaged appliances. But not a few would otherwise say that it is effective. Their bills were significantly reduced. In fact, it was so effective to at least one who tried, that they almost had zero billing!

So I asked my husband who is an electrical engineer about it. He says - surprise, surprise!!! POWER SAVERS CAN BE EFFECTIVE. It is actually used by big companies like SM and Coca Cola. It is technically named a "Power Factor Corrector." Hubby's second job was in an electrical company which fabricated and designed these kinds of industrial products. He says, a power factor corrector can also be designed and fabricated for domestic use.

ADVICE: You have to consult a professional, say an Electrical Engineer, who will have to compute your power consumption in order to determine the amount of capacitor to be used on your power saving device. Miscalculation or wrong use of the gadget leads to destroyed appliances. So, for others who bought a power saver from stores and who say it effectively reduced their bills, it was just lucky that the gadgets matched their consumption.

FRUGAL INSPIRATIONS

I come from a family of seven (7) children, with both parents as public school teachers. That was the time before Pres. Cory Aquino, when public school teachers were the least priority in the government budget. Thus, I grew up in a household where WISE and FRUGAL may very well be our middle and family name, respectively. It could also be relevant that my father is a pure-blooded Ilocano :-)

I now have a family of my own - with four kids, but with the high prices of commodities and the low value of peso, I might as well be raising seven children too. So by force of circumstances, frugality remains the fad!

This blog would be dedicated to frugal practices I have learned - from my parents, my family, the internet, strangers, and personal experience. You are all welcome to also say your piece.