Energy efficiency to save $1.15b annually

Amid high energy costs and an impending energy crisis, the government has approved energy and conservation measures preventing the outflow of $1.15 billion per annum. The people of Pakistan are currently paying high electricity prices and yet are suffering from prolonged power outages in addition to circular debt of multi-billion rupees. In their electricity bills, consumers are paying several surcharges in addition to multiple taxes resulting in higher electricity costs. Now, the coalition government has approved energy efficiency measures that will save over one billion dollars annually. The power division presented the “Efficiency and Conservation Measures Implementation Roadmap” to the cabinet in a meeting held last week chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The cabinet was briefed about how major international events had resulted in the disruption of the global energy supply chain. As a result, prices of crude oil and imported coal witnessed an increase of 32% and 103% respectively, in the last nine months. Pakistan, as a net importer of energy resources, was consequently facing serious supply-side challenges. In such situations, energy conservation measures are used by countries across the globe. However, in Pakistan, both energy efficiency and conservation are generally treated as alien concepts.