The need to adopt energy conservation has become imperative for individuals and businesses, especially in the face of the recent electricity subsidy removal on energy consumed by customers in Band A, writes DARE OLAWIN
Energy is life. Individuals and businesses need energy to survive, as a lack of it is tantamount to inexistence. Energy, as we all know, is the ability to do work. It comes in many forms, like heat, light, electricity, and chemical energy. Energy is used in different ways – to power homes, vehicles, and industries.
Energy can be converted from one form to another, like using coal to generate electricity. Everybody needs energy, one way or another, for survival.
With this, the inevitability of energy in human life can never be overemphasised. As the world changes, energy demand continues to rise. The world needs electricity, oil, and gas to reduce energy deficits and poverty. In a place like Nigeria, energy is becoming more expensive for individuals and businesses.
According to a report by the International Energy Agency, unreliable power supply due to limited grid infrastructure, underinvestment, and ineffective regulatory frameworks has resulted in an estimated 40 per cent of all the electricity consumed in the country being produced from backup generators.
With the current low power supply caused by gas shortages, a larger percentage of Nigerians now rely on petrol or diesel to generate energy for their homes and businesses.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, had assured Nigerians that the electricity supply would improve in the next three to six months. But when Nigerians were still battling with low power supply, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission announced the removal of electricity subsidies in areas categorised as Band A. The Band A customers now pay N255 per kilowatt-hour instead of the N68/KWh payable under the subsidy regime.
With the sudden removal of subsidy, customers under the Band A feeders have been witnessing an astronomical increase while reloading their meters, getting just four units for N1,000.
Amid complaints about the high cost of buying energy, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, said the only way out was for Nigerians to imbibe energy conservation. Adelabu was right when he said Nigerians love to waste energy because it is too cheap. One could notice this in the manner in which metered customers monitor their consumption compared to their unmetered counterparts. In most homes, electronics, fans, air conditioners, freezers, bulbs, and others are usually kept on even when there is no immediate need for them. This will no longer be fashionable unless one wants to spend his entire income on power.
Speaking on Nigerians’ attitude to energy conservation, Adelabu said: “The bitter truth we all need to tell ourselves as Nigerians is that, we don’t have the culture of consumption management in this country in terms of power, just because of the cheapness of the tariff we pay for power.
“A lot of people will come back from work, they want to have dinner, or they want to see their colleagues down the road. They switch on the AC for the room to cool before they come back.
“Some people will be going to work in the morning, a freezer that you left on for days, they will still leave it on when all the items in the freezer are frozen and 5, 6, 8 hours of their absence will not make it to defreeze, they will still leave it to be consuming power just because we are not paying enough.”
Although many Nigerians felt offended by the words from Adelabu, forcing the minister to apologise, the minister had just painted a true picture of how Nigerians engage in energy waste. It must be kept in mind that energy waste does not only affect the consumer, it also reduces the availability of electricity for other users, especially in a country with extremely low power generation.
With this, Nigerians need to imbibe the spirit of energy conservation.
Energy conservation is the act of reducing the amount of energy used while still accomplishing the same task. For example, you could conserve energy by turning off lights when you leave a room, or by using energy-efficient appliances. Energy conservation can be done at home, in businesses, and on a larger scale, like at the national level. It is important to conserve energy because it reduces our impact on the environment and saves us money. Energy conservation can also improve energy security and help avoid blackouts.
Initially, Nigerians were not well enlightened on the significance of energy conservation. The need to save energy had no meaning to many Nigerians until the introduction of prepaid electricity meters. Today, energy-saving bulbs are helping reduce energy consumption when compared to traditional ones. However, many have yet to switch to energy-saving bulbs because they are more expensive.
The first step to conserving energy is to ensure your bulbs and appliances are energy-efficient. Energy-saving appliances are designed to consume less electricity or fuel compared to standard models, resulting in cost savings and reduced environmental impact. These devices are designed to consume less energy while performing their intended functions compared to standard models. The appliances typically use advanced technologies and designs to minimise energy waste, thereby, reducing electricity consumption and lowering utility bills. They could be lightbulbs, television sets, air conditioners, refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, and others. It is easier to identify these devices because they usually come with energy efficiency labels.
It may not be easy to change all appliances at once, especially when the existing ones are still working. However, it must be put into plans that there is an important need to switch to devices that will save you money, conserve energy, and save the environment. The first step to achieve this is using Light Emitting Diode bulbs.
LED bulbs are highly energy-efficient. They consume significantly less energy compared to traditional incandescent bulbs, resulting in lower electricity bills.
Practising energy conservation involves adopting habits and making lifestyle choices that reduce energy consumption. Here are some ways to imbibe energy conservation:
Turn off lights when not in use
Everyone must make it a habit to turn off lights in unoccupied rooms to save electricity. It is not economical to leave bulbs on during the day or when going out. It is advised to turn off the lights to save energy costs. Use natural daylight whenever possible by opening curtains and blinds instead of relying on artificial lighting.
Unplug electronics
Electronics and electrical appliances must be unplugged when not used. Chargers, fans, appliances, and electronics should be removed from the socket when they are not in use to avoid phantom power consumption.
Use energy-efficient appliances
As discussed earlier, it is good to choose energy-efficient appliances to reduce energy consumption. This is very important, as it helps save money and energy. Changing appliances can be done one after the other to affect your finances.
Limit water heater temperature
Use water heaters only when necessary. Lower the temperature of your water heater to conserve energy used for heating water.
Air dry clothes
Instead of using an electronic dryer, spread your clothes on a clothesline outside to air-dry them. This will save a lot of energy.
Upgrade to energy-efficient lighting
As stated above, replace traditional incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient LED bulbs to save electricity.
Practise energy-saving habits at work
In your place of work, please practice energy conservation. Always remember to turn off computers, printers, fans, refrigerators, air conditioners, water dispensers, television sets, and other appliances and office equipment when not in use to save energy.
By incorporating these practices into daily routine, experts believe we can reduce energy costs, contribute to energy conservation, and reduce our environmental footprint. It will help mitigate the effects of electricity tariff hikes on Band A customers while preparing other bands for what is to come sooner rather than later. Aside from saving costs, practising energy conservation saves the little available energy for the benefit of others and it also reduces climate impact.
