For those living in Luzon, it’s that time of year again: Due to a lack of power supply, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCRP) is setting rotational brownouts in various parts of Luzon. As the supply deficiency has affected Meralco’s franchise area, the country’s largest power distributor has had to cut off power in select areas at specific times. As these can vary from day to day, you can view updates on Meralco’s scheduled power interruption via their official Facebook page.
If your area is affected by these rotational brownouts, we can imagine that you have a number of concerns running through your mind. What if the power interruptions coincide with working hours or online classes? How will we manage amid the heat and humidity? What if we lose power at night? In line with looming issues like these, we’ve come up with a list of power outage essentials that will keep you equipped amid a loss of power supply.
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Brownout essentials to add to your cart
1. USB mini fan
Let’s start small! A USB mini fan will come in handy for warm days and nights, especially while you’re working. Our top pick from Mcdodo is portable and rechargeable, and has a battery life of up to six hours. It has two speed options, has soft silicone blades, and comes in three colours: Nordic white, coral pink, and dark blue. The best part? It doubles as a power bank, so you can use it to charge your smartphone, too!
Shop for a USB mini fan on Shopee or Lazada.
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2. Rechargeable fan with LED light
This particular item is an essential in my own family home for rotational brownouts — and it’s the ultimate must-have during typhoon season. It’s a two-in-one fan and LED light: two features you can use separately. This rechargeable fan from Akari has two fan speed options, along with a maximum operating time of six hours.
If you’re willing to spend a bit more, however, you can opt for this fan from Firefly. In comparison, its LED light feature can last for up to 15 hours and the fan can last for up to 6.5 hours.
Shop for a rechargeable fan with LED light on Shopee or Lazada.
3. Power bank
Of course, there’s the ultimate power outage essential: a handy power bank. On a full day out, I’m already happy with my 10,000mAh power bank; but to avoid the need to recharge it often, we recommend this 20,000mAh option from Veger. You can charge up to three devices at once, and it even displays how much battery life it has left!
Shop for a power bank on Shopee or Lazada.
4. Portable power station
Willing to go all out? Then look no further than this portable power station that’ll render you unstoppable during power outages (just make sure to always keep it charged, of course). Boasting 60,000mAh, this has enough power to charge your laptop, phone, electric fan — even your TV. It can operate for up to 24 hours, and has enough ports to let you plug in several devices at one time. The power station also has a capacity display, so you’ll always be aware of how much power it still has left!
Shop for a portable power station on Shopee or Lazada.
5. Pocket WiFi
If you live in a place where your mobile data just isn’t enough to get you through the rotational brownout, then it may be time to invest in a Pocket WiFi. This one from TP-Link comes highly recommended, and will be well worth every centavo you spend on it! It’s open-line; supports up to 150 MBps download and 50Mbps upload speeds; can connect to up to 10 devices; and can operate for up to eight hours.
Shop for a pocket WiFi on Shopee or Lazada.
6. WiFi router-to-power bank cable
The ultimate rotational brownout essential for those who are in dire need of the Internet: this WiFi router-to-power bank cable. No electricity? No problem — all you need to do is connect your router to your power bank with this nifty cord. We can’t believe we didn’t think of this a long time ago!
Shop for a WiFi router-to-power bank cable on Shopee or Lazada.
7. Portable air cooler
Can’t handle the majorly hot temperatures? If a fan just won’t cut it, then maybe this portable air cooler will tickle your fancy! It’s compact and multi-functional: not only does it cool air, it also humidifies and purifies it. It also has a battery life of up to 12 hours, and you can choose from three wind speed controls. All you need to do is fill it up with water and plug it into a USB port or power bank with plug sockets.
Shop for a portable air cooler on Shopee or Lazada.
8. Rechargeable LED lamp
Need to work at your desk amid the power interruption? With a rechargeable LED lamp, you might even forget that you’re in the middle of a brownout! You can charge it via USB, and its features include a touch switch and three brightness levels — it can also be rotated 360 degrees.
The best part, though, is that you can enjoy all this for such an affordable price! One of the top rotational brownout essentials for students and remote workers, for sure.
Shop for a rechargeable LED lamp on Shopee or Lazada.
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9. Magnetic LED light
This rechargeable light is another pretty cool option, as you can attach it to pretty much any surface via magnet. The lights are rechargeable, and you can manipulate the brightness levels via a touch sensor. It’s perfect for illuminating important spaces, especially if the rotational brownout will be affecting your area during darker hours.
Shop for a magnetic LED light on Shopee or Lazada.
10. Remote-operated LED lights
Finally, here’s another set of LED lights you may want to add to your cart: remote-operated LED lights you can stick to any surface. One set comes with three LED lights, each smaller than the palm of your hand, and a remote control. The lights have two brightness levels, and you can control them via the remote from up to 15ft away. You can also make use of the timer function to allow the lights to automatically shut off after 30 minutes.
As someone who personally has these, I was impressed at how bright the lights were — and at how useful they can be during a brownout! They definitely offer some semblance of normalcy when there’s an absence of power. We even hooked the remote up to the wall so that it would feel just like turning a regular light switch on and off!
Shop for remote-operated LED lights on Shopee or Lazada.
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As we are often affected by rotational brownouts and unforeseen power interruptions, these essentials are definitely worthwhile investments. While we’d rather not have any need for them, it’s best to be prepared for the worst-case scenario.
Featured image credit: JJ Gouin via Canva Pro
