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PM urges people to participate in energy conservation efforts

* Conserving 25% energy would save around $2 billion annually
* Gas geysers to be banned, will be replaced with solar geysers

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro has appealed to the nation to participate in national energy conservation efforts to help confront the challenge of energy shortage.

It is the need of the hour, as we have to share national resources justly and keep up the pace of economic progress, he told a meeting he chaired to review the energy situation in Pakistan and examine measures for the conservation of electricity, gas and fuel.

Soomro said that the conservation efforts needed everyone’s support. The meeting decided to revive the Energy Conservation Council to be headed by the PM to ensure timely decisions regarding energy conservation.

Soomro said that he would personally monitor the implementation of the energy conservation programme.

The meeting decided that the Energy Conservation Policy already approved by the cabinet in November 2006 should be immediately implemented to ensure energy savings in the country.

$2 billion: It was mentioned that with appropriate energy conservation measures a minimum of 25 percent saving in usage of energy would result in saving around $2 billion annually in a short term.

The meeting decided that ENERCON - an entity working under the Ministry of Environment - should be the focal point for formulating, coordinating and monitoring all initiatives pertaining to energy conservation.

ENERCON, in coordination with the Ministry of Information and PEMRA, would launch a public campaign for educating the public regarding benefits of energy conservation. The prime minister asked the Ministry of Environment to prepare a work plan in coordination with Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Resources, Ministry of Water and Power and Alternative Energy Development Board to put forward specific schemes and projects for saving energy. It was reiterated that the shopping centers throughout the country would close down by 7.30pm in the evening and the electricity and gas thus saved could be utilized both by the domestic consumers and the industrial sector.

The loadshedding would be managed in such a manner that the domestic consumers could contribute their share during the daylight and the electricity thus saved could be diverted to the agricultural sector, institutions as well as industry. The meeting decided that the provincial and local governments would be asked to approach the managements of the schools particularly private institutions to encourage students to use school buses.

The meeting agreed that all important public buildings like Prime Minister’s Secretariat and House shall use solar-based geysers and energy saver bulbs as soon these are made available.

Solar geysers: The meeting realised that gas water geysers burn excessive gas both domestically and elsewhere. The gas geysers, it was agreed, would be banned in the near future and would be replaced by solar geysers. It was mentioned that although the cost of solar geysers is three times as compared to gas geysers but its cost would be recovered by the user within two and half years. The heating of water through solar geyser would be free for the next 20 years.

The meeting decided that gas geysers presently being used by the federal and provincial government institutions throughout the country would be replaced by solar geysers immediately. app

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