The Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) is planning to distribute over two million energy savers, worth Rs 250 million, among its consumers to conserve over 40 megawatts electricity daily. The two million consumers would be given a bulb of 20 watts each aiming to reduce power consumption of the ordinary bulb by 50 percent while replacing the incandescent bulbs (ordinary bulb) with the screw-in compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) energy saver.
According to sources, KESC, which has recently distributed around 4,000 energy savers among the arson-hit traders at Boulton Market free of cost, is also planning to distribute the same among other consumers across the city. Under its energy conservation scheme, they said, the company is also planning to buy special transformers to conserve the electricity at different industries to minimise the power losses.
With consultation with industrial associations, sources said, the company was also considering to introduce other power conservation equipment's to be installed at the industries. These are being organised by the company in collaboration with Philips Electrical Industries of Pakistan, they added. After the Boulton Market traders/shopkeepers, the energy savers would be given to 15000 shareholders of the company, they said.
As a long-term move, the power conserving bulbs would be distributed among the residents of Katchi abadies and the city's outskirts and the rest of the areas gradually, they added. Under its energy conservation drive, KESC would also target industrial and bulk electricity consumers for raising awareness among them about the importance of saving electricity as a major national cause.
According a statistic of the company the impact of the said order is conservation of 40MW of electricity which would amount to Rs 230.4 million, besides reducing carbon emissions by 3998.592 metric tons. According to KESC Energy Conservation Vision of saving 200 MWs by 2011, 10 percent of the target, 20MWs, is to be conserved by saving at KESC Offices & Installations; 60 percent, 120MWs, from industrial sector, 10 percent, 20MWs, from big commercial sector; and, 20 percent, 40MWs, is to be conserved from domestic and small commercial sector.
However, when contacted, Asif Hussain Siddiqui, Director Energy Conservation Department (ECD) of the KESC, said the company was likely to be given the energy savers by Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) under the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) program, for which KESC has already submitted the data. But he said it was not clear how many and on what conditions the bulbs would be given to the privately run utility.
He, however, denied that the company has an immediate program of distribution of energy savers among the general consumers. To facilitate the millions of consumers, he said, subsidy from the government would be needed. He said the company had distributed 4000 bulbs among the Boulton Market affectees while selected shareholders would also be given the same.
While welcoming the move, the KESC Shareholders Association, in a statement said that the management with the consultation of industrialists' associations, trade bodies, and individual consumers like domestic users, small traders, shopping centres and big restaurants etc should start the drive immediately.