A home with a fridge, two electric fans, a TV, a rice cooker, LED lights and Wi-Fi uses about 101 kWh a month in our example below. At BILECO's September 2026 rate that's about ₱1,921. At LEYECO IV's, about ₱1,722. Add one 1 HP inverter aircon running 8 hours a night and the same home roughly doubles.
The figures come from two places you can check yourself: the DOE's energy label lists for refrigerators and TVs, and the appliance tests that Meralco publishes from its Power Lab. We priced each appliance at the current BILECO and LEYECO rates, so you can see where your kWh (and your pesos) actually go.
Pira an kuryente han ref? Basahon ta.
Figures checked 7 October 2026. Rates are the latest residential rates for September 2026. Your own appliances will differ, so use the label on yours when you can.
The quick answer: kWh and cost per appliance
Appliance | Energy use | Basis | BILECO (₱18.93) | LEYECO IV (₱16.9708) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Refrigerator, frost-free, 7–10 cu ft | 27 kWh a month | DOE label, median of 94 models | ₱511 a month | ₱458 a month |
Refrigerator, manual defrost, 4–7 cu ft | 19.5 kWh a month | DOE label, median of 72 models | ₱369 a month | ₱331 a month |
16-inch stand fan, medium | 0.0476 kWh an hour | Meralco test | ₱0.90 an hour | ₱0.81 an hour |
32-inch LED TV | 0.037 kWh an hour | DOE label, median 36.98 W | ₱0.70 an hour | ₱0.63 an hour |
43-inch LED TV | 0.070 kWh an hour | DOE label, median 70 W | ₱1.33 an hour | ₱1.19 an hour |
55-inch LED TV | 0.105 kWh an hour | DOE label, median 105 W | ₱1.99 an hour | ₱1.78 an hour |
Rice cooker, 1.8 L | 0.3382 kWh per cooking | Meralco test, median of 8 models | ₱6.40 per cooking | ₱5.74 per cooking |
Electric kettle | 0.1468 kWh per boil | Meralco test, median of 9 models | ₱2.78 per boil | ₱2.49 per boil |
Flat iron | 0.4067 kWh per session | Meralco test, median of 20 irons | ₱7.70 per session | ₱6.90 per session |
9 W LED bulb | 0.009 kWh an hour | Meralco test | ₱0.17 an hour | ₱0.15 an hour |
Wi-Fi router | 0.006 kWh an hour | Meralco test (one model) | ₱81.78 a month (24 h) | ₱73.31 a month (24 h) |
Pesos are kWh × rate (Solar Leyte calculations). LEYECO II and LEYECO V costs are in the sample-home table further down. Medians come from the DOE's July–December 2024 label lists and Meralco's tested-appliance lists (sources at the end).
A note on "per use". Meralco publishes kWh per use for each appliance it tests. Its own tips page puts a 16-inch stand fan at ₱0.50 to ₱0.67 an hour and describes those fans as 50–60 W (Meralco), and a 9 W bulb is listed at 0.009 kWh. So for fans, lights, TVs and routers we read one use as one hour. For a rice cooker, kettle or iron we read it as one cooking, one boil or one ironing session, the way Meralco tested it. That's our reading, not Meralco's wording.
How to work out any appliance's kWh
You only need one of these three:
- The yellow DOE energy label. Aircons, refrigerators, TVs and lighting products are covered by the DOE's Philippine Energy Labeling Program, and sellers must register them and attach the label (DOE). Fridges and TVs show an estimated monthly kWh. That's the easiest number to use.
- The watts on the nameplate. Watts × hours used ÷ 1,000 = kWh. A 70 W TV on for 6 hours uses 70 × 6 ÷ 1,000 = 0.42 kWh.
- Meralco's tested-appliance lists. Handy for things without a DOE label, like fans, rice cookers, kettles and irons.
Then multiply kWh by your co-op's rate per kWh. Your rate is on your bill, or in our trackers for BILECO, LEYECO II and LEYECO IV and V. If you'd rather not do the math, our electricity bill calculator does it for a whole house.
How many kWh does a refrigerator use?
A fridge runs all day, every day, so it's usually the biggest load in a home without aircon. The DOE's label list for July to December 2024 covers 460 refrigerator models (DOE). We grouped them by size and type and took the middle value (median) of each group:
Type and size | Models | Monthly kWh (median) | Range in the list | BILECO a month | LEYECO IV a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Manual defrost, 120–200 L (about 4.2–7.1 cu ft) | 72 | 19.5 | 12.6–28.2 | ₱369 | ₱331 |
Manual defrost, 200–280 L (about 7.1–9.9 cu ft) | 54 | 22.2 | 15.0–36.0 | ₱420 | ₱377 |
Frost-free, 120–200 L (about 4.2–7.1 cu ft) | 20 | 25.35 | 17.7–28.8 | ₱480 | ₱430 |
Frost-free, 200–280 L (about 7.1–9.9 cu ft) | 94 | 27.0 | 18.9–36.0 | ₱511 | ₱458 |
Frost-free, 280–380 L (about 9.9–13.4 cu ft) | 71 | 30.3 | 22.5–39.6 | ₱574 | ₱514 |
Frost-free, 380–600 L (about 13.4–21 cu ft) | 138 | 42.3 | 27.6–62.7 | ₱801 | ₱718 |
Source: DOE, Issuance of Energy Label for Refrigerating Appliances, 1 July to 31 December 2024. "Manual defrost" is the DOE list's "Cooling / Manual" type. Size groups, medians, cu ft conversions and pesos are Solar Leyte calculations.
What the table tells you:
- A mid-size frost-free fridge uses about 0.9 kWh a day (27 ÷ 30). At BILECO's rate that's about ₱17 a day.
- Same size, very different fridges. In the 7–10 cu ft frost-free group, the best model is labelled at 18.9 kWh a month and the worst at 36.0. Over a month at BILECO's rate, that gap is about ₱324 (17.1 × ₱18.93, our calculation). Compare labels in the store, not just the price tag.
- Real use is often higher than the label. Label figures come from standard tests, not a hot Leyte kitchen. Meralco says household consumption can rise 10% to 40% from March to June, because compressors in aircons and refs work harder in the heat (Meralco).
Small habits matter too. In Meralco's own tests, a leaky door seal, an overloaded fridge and a "high" thermostat setting each cost real money every month. It suggests the paper test for the door seal, keeping the fridge about two-thirds full, using the middle setting, and keeping it away from sunlight and the stove (Meralco).
If you're sizing a battery to keep a fridge running through a brownout, our solar battery price guide has worked examples.
How many kWh does an electric fan use?
Less than people think. Meralco's tips page puts a 16-inch stand fan (50–60 W) at ₱0.50 an hour on low, ₱0.58 on medium and ₱0.67 on high, at its 2024 average rate of ₱12.1817 per kWh (Meralco). Divide by that rate and you get about 0.041, 0.048 and 0.055 kWh an hour (our calculation). Meralco's older tested list has eight 16-inch stand fans between 0.0438 and 0.0720 kWh per use (Meralco fans list).
At medium (0.0476 kWh an hour), one fan running 8 hours a night uses about 11.4 kWh a month:
- BILECO: about ₱216 a month
- LEYECO II: about ₱161 a month, before VAT
- LEYECO IV: about ₱194 a month
- LEYECO V: about ₱187 a month
Ceiling fans in Meralco's list use 0.0468 to 0.0783 kWh per use, about the same as a stand fan.
Meralco also tested a DC stand fan against a regular one. At 12 hours a day, the DC fan saved ₱151.30 a month at its ₱12.1817 rate (Meralco). That's about 12.4 kWh a month, or roughly ₱235 at BILECO's rate (our calculation). Worth knowing when an old fan needs replacing.
Fan vs aircon: a fan on medium for 8 hours uses about 0.38 kWh. A 1 HP inverter aircon for the same 8 hours uses around 3.8 kWh, ten times as much (113 kWh a month ÷ 30, from Midea's figures in our aircon post). If a fan keeps the bedroom comfortable, it's by far the cheaper choice.
How many kWh does a TV use?
The DOE label list for July to December 2024 has 651 TV models (DOE). Here are the common sizes:
Screen size | Models | Power rating (median) | Label kWh a month (median) | Cost per hour, BILECO | 6 h a day, BILECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
24-inch | 14 | 22 W | 5.94 | ₱0.42 | ₱75 a month |
32-inch | 101 | 37 W | 9.72 | ₱0.70 | ₱126 a month |
43-inch | 123 | 70 W | 18.36 | ₱1.33 | ₱239 a month |
50-inch | 121 | 89 W | 23.22 | ₱1.68 | ₱303 a month |
55-inch | 172 | 105 W | 27.54 | ₱1.99 | ₱358 a month |
Source: DOE, Issuance of Energy Label for Television Sets, 1 July to 31 December 2024. Medians and pesos are Solar Leyte calculations; the 6-hour column uses the power rating (watts × 6 h × 30 days).
A few things worth knowing:
- The label's monthly kWh assumes a lot of viewing. For a 32-inch set, 9.72 kWh a month from a 37 W rating works out to about 8 to 9 hours a day (our check). If your TV is on less, your cost is lower.
- Bigger screens cost more, but not hugely. Going from 32 to 55 inches adds about ₱232 a month at BILECO's rate if it's on 6 hours a day (our calculation).
- Standby is tiny. The median standby rating in the list is 0.5 W for 32- to 55-inch sets. Left on standby all day, that's about 0.36 kWh a month, or around ₱7 at BILECO's rate (our calculation).
- Old CRT TVs are the exception. Meralco's list has a 24-inch CRT at 0.0987 kWh per use, more than the median 50-inch LED's 89 W (Meralco AV list).
How many kWh does a rice cooker use?
Meralco's kitchen list has 18 rice cookers. The eight 1.8-liter models use 0.2735 to 0.3610 kWh per use, with a median of 0.3382 kWh (Meralco kitchen list). The 1.5-liter models are a bit lower (median 0.2821), and a big 8.5-liter cooker is 1.44 kWh.
Cooking rice twice a day in a 1.8-liter cooker is about 60 uses a month, or 20.3 kWh (0.3382 × 60, our calculation):
- BILECO: about ₱384 a month
- LEYECO II: about ₱285, before VAT
- LEYECO IV: about ₱344
- LEYECO V: about ₱332
That's more than most people expect, and close to what the fridge uses. Leaving the cooker on "keep warm" for hours adds more on top; Meralco's per-use figure doesn't tell us how much, so we haven't guessed.
Other kitchen and laundry items from the same lists:
- Electric kettle: median 0.1468 kWh per boil across nine models (0.0786–0.1718). One boil a day is about 4.4 kWh a month.
- Flat iron: median 0.4067 kWh per session across 20 irons, from 0.1678 for a 1,200 W dry iron to 0.7789 for a 2,070 W steam iron (Meralco general appliances list). Ironing in one batch a week, instead of a few pieces every morning, cuts the number of heat-ups.
Lights, Wi-Fi and chargers
These barely move the bill:
- LED bulbs: a 9 W LED uses 0.009 kWh an hour (Meralco lighting list). Five of them on for 5 hours a night come to 6.75 kWh a month, about ₱128 at BILECO's rate.
- Wi-Fi router: Meralco tested a Linksys E2500 at 0.006 kWh per use. On all day, that's about 4.3 kWh a month (Meralco AV list).
- Power banks: Meralco lists a 10,000 mAh power bank at 0.0157 kWh per full charge (Meralco general appliances list). Charging one every day is under half a kWh a month.
A sample Leyte home, priced at all four co-ops
Here's a simple home with no aircon. The hours are our assumptions; change them to match your household.
Appliance and use | kWh a month | BILECO (₱18.93) | LEYECO II (₱14.0488, before VAT) | LEYECO IV (₱16.9708) | LEYECO V (₱16.3837) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Refrigerator, frost-free 7–10 cu ft (DOE label median) | 27.00 | ₱511.11 | ₱379.32 | ₱458.21 | ₱442.36 |
Two 16-inch stand fans, medium, 8 h a night | 22.85 | ₱432.63 | ₱321.07 | ₱387.85 | ₱374.43 |
Rice cooker 1.8 L, twice a day | 20.29 | ₱384.13 | ₱285.08 | ₱344.37 | ₱332.46 |
43-inch LED TV, 6 h a day (70 W) | 12.60 | ₱238.52 | ₱177.01 | ₱213.83 | ₱206.43 |
Five 9 W LED bulbs, 5 h a night | 6.75 | ₱127.78 | ₱94.83 | ₱114.55 | ₱110.59 |
Electric kettle, once a day | 4.40 | ₱83.37 | ₱61.87 | ₱74.74 | ₱72.15 |
Wi-Fi router, all day | 4.32 | ₱81.78 | ₱60.69 | ₱73.31 | ₱70.78 |
Flat iron, 8 sessions a month | 3.25 | ₱61.59 | ₱45.71 | ₱55.22 | ₱53.31 |
Total | 101.47 | ₱1,920.89 | ₱1,425.58 | ₱1,722.09 | ₱1,662.51 |
All kWh and peso figures are Solar Leyte calculations from the DOE and Meralco figures above. Rates: BILECO's September 2026 residential rate from DOE data on PRESYO-PH (PRESYO-PH); LEYECO II's September 2026 rate, before VAT (LEYECO II); LEYECO IV's September 2026 rate, VAT included (LEYECO IV); LEYECO V's September 2026 rate, before distribution VAT (LEYECO V). Bills also carry a small fixed monthly charge, and LEYECO II and V add VAT that isn't in these rates, so a real bill comes out a little higher.
Three things jump out:
- The fridge, the fans and the rice cooker are about 69% of this home's kWh (70.14 of 101.47, our calculation). That's where to look first.
- The same home pays about ₱495 more a month in Biliran than in Tacloban (₱1,920.89 vs ₱1,425.58). Same appliances, same hours, so the gap is all rate. LEYECO II's rate is quoted before VAT, so the real gap is a bit smaller.
- Rates move every month. BILECO's own posted rate was ₱12.9458 in May 2026 and ₱18.3407 in July (BILECO rate tracker). Same appliances, same hours, very different bill. That's why it helps to track kWh, not just pesos.
And if you add an aircon?
One 1 HP inverter aircon running 8 hours a night uses about 113 kWh a month, using Midea's figures in our aircon post. Add that to the sample home and the total goes from 101.47 to 214.47 kWh. At BILECO's rate the bill goes from about ₱1,921 to about ₱4,060 (our calculation). A non-inverter 1 HP unit uses more again: about 180 kWh a month in that same post.
So if your bill is well above the sample home's, check the aircon first. Then the fridge, especially if it's old or the door seal is tired.
What this means if you're thinking about solar
Knowing your kWh is the first step in sizing solar, and it's worth doing before you ask for a quote:
- Panels: in our sizing method, one 580 W panel makes about 61 kWh a month in Leyte and Biliran (how many panels do I need?). The sample home's 101.47 kWh works out to about 2 panels. With a 1 HP inverter aircon, about 4.
- Daytime vs night-time use: the fridge runs day and night, but the fans, TV and lights are mostly evening loads. Solar you use while the sun is up saves the full rate. Evening use needs a battery or net metering. See is solar worth it? for the payback math at BILECO and LEYECO rates.
- Brownout backup: a fridge, two fans, lights and Wi-Fi are exactly the loads most families want running in a brownout. Our solar battery guide and power station comparison show how long each size lasts.
For how co-op bills are built, line by line, see the BILECO and LEYECO rates guide.
FAQ
How many kWh does a refrigerator use per month in the Philippines? Going by the DOE's 2024 label list, about 19.5 kWh for a small manual-defrost fridge (4–7 cu ft), 27 kWh for a 7–10 cu ft frost-free fridge, and 42.3 kWh for a large 13–21 cu ft frost-free model (medians). Hot months can push real use higher.
How much is an electric fan per hour? About 0.048 kWh an hour for a 16-inch stand fan on medium (from Meralco's tests). That's about ₱0.90 an hour at BILECO's September 2026 rate and ₱0.81 at LEYECO IV's.
How many kWh does a TV use? A 32-inch LED TV is rated around 37 W (0.037 kWh an hour), a 43-inch around 70 W, and a 55-inch around 105 W (DOE label medians). Six hours a day of a 43-inch set is about 12.6 kWh a month.
How much does a rice cooker cost per day? A 1.8-liter rice cooker uses about 0.34 kWh per cooking in Meralco's tests. Twice a day, that's about ₱12.80 a day at BILECO's rate, or ₱11.48 at LEYECO IV's (our calculation).
Why is my bill higher than these numbers? Usually one of four things: an aircon, an old or oversized fridge, hot months (Meralco says use can rise 10% to 40% from March to June), or a rate increase. Check the kWh on your bill against last month's before blaming the appliances.
Solar Leyte is run by MACC Systems & Energy Solutions Inc., a solar installer in Naval, Biliran.
Get a free solar quote from MACC
Want to know what solar would cover in your house? Send us a photo of your latest BILECO or LEYECO bill, plus a list of your big appliances. We'll size a system for your real usage and show you the savings math, with no obligation.
- Call/Text: 0955 723 5093
- Email: official@macc-inc.com or benjie@macc-inc.com
- Website: www.macc-inc.com
- Request a quote online: solarleyte.com/quote
- Office: Brgy. Talustusan, Naval, Biliran 6543
Sources (all checked 7 October 2026)
- Department of Energy, Philippine Energy Labeling Program: Issuance of Energy Label for Refrigerating Appliances, 1 July to 31 December 2024 (PDF) and Issuance of Energy Label for Television Sets, 1 July to 31 December 2024 (PDF)
- Meralco, tested-appliance lists: kitchen appliances (PDF), fans, blowers and air coolers (PDF), lighting (PDF), audio-visual and gadgets, June 2022 (PDF), general appliances, June 2022 (PDF)
- Meralco, We've got the power to be energy savers! (fan costs per hour, DC fan and fridge tests, 10–40% summer increase; 2024 average rate ₱12.1817/kWh)
- ICSC, PRESYO-PH: BILECO's September 2026 residential rate (DOE data)
- LEYECO II, LEYECO IV September 2026 rates and LEYECO V power rate
- Solar Leyte: BILECO rate tracker, LEYECO II rate tracker, LEYECO IV and V rate tracker, solar for aircon (Midea aircon kWh), how many solar panels do I need? (61 kWh per 580 W panel)