ACCORDING to Nepra’s State of Industry Report 2019, the domestic or household sector is the largest consumer of electricity, increasing manifold on year-on-year basis.

Last year, the domestic sector consumed more than 51,119 GWh energy or 48 per cent of the total electricity consumed by all the sectors, including industrial, commercial, agriculture and others that accounted for a total of 106,760 GWh.

Seemingly, the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act 2016 has not been effective, and it failed to achieve the desired results.

The governments, past and present, have not shown political will and commitment towards energy savings. There are reliable studies confirming that 10pc to 20pc saving or conserving electricity in various sectors is possible.

Whereas the government has so far relied heavily on the industrial consumers of electricity for energy efficiency, the domestic sector has been ignored, which provides great potential for energy saving.

Demand side management (DSM) or energy demand management, aimed at encouraging the electricity consumers to use less energy, has been successful in various countries such as the US, Canada, Brazil, Australia and India.

There is a need to initiate DSM programme in Pakistan’s domestic or household sector in the first phase through various measures aiming at behavioural change through creating necessary awareness, and offering financial incentives to the consumers.

Major areas of electricity conservation in a household are lighting, heating and cooling, domestic appliances, electric motors for water pumping, etc. Vampire energy or phantom power is the no-load power waste which uses 10pc to 15pc electricity of a home.

An initiative has been taken to manufacture and market energy-efficient fans and other electrical appliances. Most common type of energy conservation solution is a larger use of the LED lighting, which, to some extent, has been implemented already. But these measures are not considered adequate.

The government or the utility companies should offer energy rebates to such consumers on the basis of a defined formula. Given the conditions of poor education, lack of civic sense and society response, the domestic consumer, in general, would not be interested, if asked, in contributing towards environmental aspects and reducing global warming.

There has to be some incentive for the consumers, like housewives, students and operators, besides reduction in their utility bills, in order to create an energy conservation culture as a social response.

An intensive public advertisement campaign has to be launched through press and electronic media with focus on targeted consumers. Specific conservation projects need to be developed. Such measures, if adopted seriously, could result in significant savings of electricity.

Hussain Siddiqui
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2020