ISLAMABAD: The electricity consumers could save as many as Rs.1,700 per bulb if they use fluorescent light (10 hours a day) instead of using a normal incandescent bulb without compromising on illumination.
A normal incandescent bulb of 60 watts can be replaced with fluorescent lamp of 15 watts, saving 45 watts per hour while in case of 100 watt incandescent bulb consumers can save 75 watts per hour by installing fluorescent light of 25 watts, official sources said quoting experts.
According to official data, fluorescent lamp has guaranteed life of 8,000 hours while it is assumed that the normal lamp also has the same life.
Even at a minimum cost of Rs 5 per unit, a 15 watt fluorescent lamp will consume electricity worth Rs 600 over its life time while an incandescent lamp of 60 watts giving the same illumination will consume electricity of Rs 2,400 over its life.
According to official document, the cost of 15 watt fluorescent light is Rs 110 while a 60-watt incandescent lamp costs Rs.30.
If all this is calculated, the consumer could save about Rs.1,700 per bulb if he uses fluorescent light for 10 hours a day.
The data further revealed that saving in electricity consumption comes to 450 watt hours per day or 13.5 units per month (on use of 10 hours per day).
If all the 18 million electricity consumers, including domestic, industry, commercial and bulk, replace one bulb of 60 watts with an energy saver, power saving will be 810 megawatts per day. And if 100 watt bulbs are replaced, saving can go up further, the data revealed.
According to a World Bank report, the world lighting market is worth $ 230 billion. The global residential electricity use is 28 percent, services and commercial sectors consume 48 percent, industry 16 percent and street lighting 8 percent.
The government has also launched National Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) project to conserve energy. The Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) is providing energy savers free of cost to its consumers in a bid to conserve electricity. In first phase, it will distribute 10 million energy savers by replacing incandescent bulbs and in the second phase will provide another 20 million energy savers.
Giving details of the same moves by the regional countries, the data further revealed the Sri Lankan government encouraged its electricity consumers to shift to energy savers a decade ago by giving them up to four fluorescent lamps on 12-month interest-free loans with a two-year performance warranty form five suppliers.
And a decade later, the programme has been fully implemented in the country. Similarly, India's Bangalore Electric Supply Company (BESCOM) targeted its 2.6 million consumers by offering them fluorescent lamps at a discount or on nine-month instalments recovered through electricity bills.
South Africa initiated a scheme somewhat similar to the one planned by the Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) and provided energy savers free of cost in low-cost housing areas.
In the first and second phases, three million energy savers were distributed free of cost to poor households. In third phase, 2.5 million energy savers were distributed free in low-cost housing areas while 2.5 million savers were provided at a 40 percent discount to middle and high income consumers.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.