BAN IMPORTATION OF ELECTRIC GEYSERS TO SAVE ENERGY - CHIKWANDA
ENERGY Expert, Johnstone Chikwanda, has proposed actions which should be considered resulting from the reduced electricity supply such as banning importation or manufacturing of electric geysers in Zambia.
Dr Chikwanda called on Government to introduce a Statutory Instrument (SI) to restrict or ban importation or manufacturing of electric geysers in Zambia for a period of five to 10 years.
Alternatively, he suggested, Government can place more tax measures on the importation of electric geysers in order to propose migration to solay geysers.
He said this on Sunday in Lusaka at a press briefing on the impact of climate change induced drought on electricity sub-sector in Zambia-proposed solutions.
“If an SI on electric geysers is implemented, we will save significant amount of power going forward. We must also attempt at incentivising consumers who wish to swap their electric geysers with solar geysers,” Dr Chikwanda said.
He said the average combined installed capacity of electric geysers for at household, education, hospitality, and industrial facilities in Zambia is estimated in the range of 500 Megawatts (MW) plus or minus.
This capacity, according to Dr Chikwanda, will continue to grow. He, therefore, explained that Zambia will be accelerating energy transition by freeing up some energy which can go into other productive areas by restricting the importation of electric geysers and promote solar geysers.
Dr Chikwanda recalled that as a response to the 2015 energy crisis, Zambia was placed on a forced migration from filament light bulbs to energy saving bulbs.
“I was one of the activists who lobbied heavily for the banning of importation and manufacturing of filament bulbs in Zambia.
“After a successful migration, the country started saving energy in the range of 200 MW plus or minus,” he said.
Dr Chikwanda also appealing to Government, the private sector, and domestic customers to switch off lights in unoccupied rooms whether during the day or night.
This includes offices in Government ministries including cabinet offices, councils, agencies, State owned Enterprises (SoEs) and quasi-institutions among other public places.
“The Secretary to Cabinet is called upon to consider issuing a Circular for this initiative to be fully adhered to. Private sector figureheads are also encouraged to follow suit regarding this initiative.
“Government and or ZESCO is encouraged to assist drive this proposed crusade of energy saving,” Dr Chikwanda said.