LET’S DO OUR PART IN SAVING WATER AND ELECTRICITY

The UAE is one of the major consumers of electricity and is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the USA and Canada.

Government authorities have repeatedly said that it is in “every individual’s hand to be responsible and do his or her part in helping us conserve our water and energy, so that generations after us can have what we have”.

Dubai in particular is aiming to reduce its energy and water consumption by 30 per cent by 2030. Here are some tips form the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) on how we can save money on our utility bills while ensuring that our resources will last for the coming generations:

Use of AC

> Keep your thermostat set at 24 degree Celsius, or higher, and on ‘auto,’ not

‘on.’ Each degree can mean up to 5 per cent savings on cooling costs

> The optimal lifetime of air conditioners is 10 years.

If yours are older, consider replacing them with new energy-efficient appliances

> During winter, use ceiling fans to circulate air. They use about as much electricity as a light bulb. Don’t forget to turn fans off when you leave the room

> Clean your AC filters at least once every three months. Clogged, dirty filters block normal airflow and reduce a system’s efficiency significantly

LighTing

> Turn off lights when not needed. Use LEDs for lighting because of their longer lifespan and high-energy efficiency. Clean your light bulbs regularly as dirt limits diffusion of light and decreases illumination

> Use timers or motion-detectors with lamps where applicable.

WATer sAvings

> instal a water-efficient showerhead with a flow rate of less than eight litres per minute.

(Replace an existing shower head if a 1 litre bottle placed under the flow takes more than 8 seconds to fill).

> instal aerators on your kitchen and bathroom faucets to reduce faucet water use by up to 40 per cent

> Turn off the water when brushing your teeth or shaving and save more than five gallons per day

> Clean vegetables in a sink or pan partially filled with water rather than running water from the tap

> reuse the water used to wash vegetables to water houseplants or for cleaning.

> if you wash dishes by hand, rinse them in a sink partially filled with clean water instead of under running water.

> it takes around 80 litres of water to fill up a bath. Even a very long eight-minute shower would only use around

62 litres of water. Ideally, you should try replacing baths with a 4-minute shower using an efficient showerhead. This would only use around 32 litres of water.

> new toilet models use up to 6 litres of water per flush. Replacing an old toilet with a new model can save up to 21,000 litres of water per person per year