ISLAMABAD, Feb 6: Experts at a seminar on Wednesday said electricity conservation had not been at the top of the priority list of the government.

No concrete measures are being taken to conserve power at all levels, and to address the crisis the government has focused on electricity generation, they said.

Speaking at the seminar on: “Energy Legislation – Response to Conservation, Efficiency & Alternatives” they said in the country the electricity consumption was measured in terms of bill instead of units utilised. The seminar was held at the Institute of Policy Studies.

Even the industrial and commercial consumers look at the amount at the electricity bills instead of keeping a track of consumption pattern, they maintained.

“Conservation should be part of everyday discussions,” Asad Mahmood, Director Technical Enercon, said adding: “And at individual level all categories of consumers should know when and how they can conserve power without affecting the output.”

He stressed the need of conservation and efficiency to deal with rising demand of energy.

“There was limited concept of inefficiency cost or inefficiency loss in the country,” he added.

He said Enercon had suggested establishment of Pakistan Energy Conservation Board at the central and provincial level to facilitate the end consumer regarding energy efficient products and practices by setting benchmarks, certifications and energy audits.

Engr. Dr. Ashfaq Ahmed Shiekh, Additional Registrar, Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), said to overcome the energy crisis the PEC took an initiative in 2010 to amend building code act of Pakistan, aimed at incorporating energy provisions. He said that the purpose of the step was to make buildings energy-efficient.

“This would be done by incorporating best practices appropriate to our environment, coupled with traditional materials, technologies and craftsmanship developed indigenously,” he said.

The participants were informed that PEC had proposed to implement energy provisions in two phases. In first phase, they would be applied to large scale commercial consumers, whereas in the second phase the provision would focus on small scale end users.

The governing body of PEC has approved the Bill and ministry of housing and works was to prepare the summary for approval from cabinet.

Khalid Rahman, DG-IPS noted that there were many actors working for the betterment of power sector in their individual and institutional capacities, but there was a need to streamline and synergize all efforts to get the desired results, to resolve the issue and save national resources.