Published by the government of Zimbabwe
5 April 2007
opinion
Harare — THE significant increase in power tariffs this week will help ensure all electricity users, particularly households, use electricity efficiently.
The Zimbabwe Electricity Regulatory Commission approved a 350 percent electricity tariff increase, which will see domestic consumers paying a monthly charge of at least $24 100 with effect from this month.
However, this massive increase in tariffs will not immediately end the power blackouts but do offer hope that the problems can be solved, since Zesa Holdings will finally have the money it needs to at least buy coal and start bringing its thermal stations back into full production.
There has been an increase in power cuts over the past weeks because the power utility is currently generating less than half of the country's total power requirements.
This is as a result of low plant availability coming from the fact that there has been no meaningful investment that has taken place over the years in electricity generation.
Worsening the situation is the fact that there is lack of foreign currency to buy spare parts that are needed to maintain the available generation plant.
The picture that we now have is one where the country has entered a phase of power supply shortage for both businesses and households, while the power that is available will be more expensive.
We should, therefore, all heed calls urging electricity users to be mindful of energy conservation, especially at the household level.
Facts from Zesa Holdings show that up to 20 percent of energy consumed in the country is wasted.
And this can be expected when energy is cheap. We have all seen, with the recent dramatic hikes in fuel costs, just how easy it is to save energy, and now we will have to learn to do the same at home.
Most of the energy is lost because people heat water they are not going to use within a couple of hours, heat rooms they are not sitting in, and because people think boiling something very fast will cook it quicker than a slow bubble.
Bad lighting design adds a bit to the bill, but it is inefficient heating.
Zesa Holdings, the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries and the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce are urging households to save electricity through demand side management, which are measures taken on the consumer side to reduce energy consumption.
We also commend the South Korean community in Zimbabwe for taking a keen interest in helping this country conserve electricity by joining in the awareness campaign to save power.
Every household in this country can save electricity and, critically for the family, money through the efficient use of power by implementing several practices in the home.
Geysers can be switched on for an hour or so before baths are taken and kept off for the rest of the day and night. While a heater is welcome on a cold winter night, there is no need to keep it blazing away. Keeping a jersey on and just heating the room periodically will save some serious money. Adding a solar water heater will soon pay for itself.
Turning stoves to low once water is boiling will save money. Fast boiling water and simmering water are both at the same temperature, about 96 degrees Celsius in the cities.
You need a pressure cooker to get a higher temperature and these, as well as microwave ovens, will save a lot of money.
We believe that if we seriously take heed of these energy conservation measures, we will not only cut the cost of our power bills but also help the country save electricity.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2007 The Herald. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
