‘Save a watt’ campaign launched
The government has increased the rebate for its energy conservation programme under which owners of old refrigerators are encouraged to exchange them for new energy-efficient ones at discounted prices.
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Under the new package, the discount on an old refrigerator exchanged for a two-star refrigerator has been increased from GH¢150 to GH¢200, while that on an old refrigerator exchanged for a three-star refrigerator has been increased from GH¢200 to GH¢300.
The Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, who announced the package at the launch of an energy conservation campaign dubbed, ‘Save a Watt’, in Accra yesterday, said response to the initiative had been encouraging, hence the government’s decision to review the discount upward.
He expressed the hope that the public would take full advantage of the new package to trade off their old refrigerators.
The refrigerator rebate scheme was launched by the Energy Commission in 2012, with owners of old refrigerators who wish to exchange them for new and energy-efficient ones being offered a discount with the view to reducing energy consumption.
Switch-off-the-freezer campaign
The refrigerator exchange programme is one of several energy-conservation campaigns being spearheaded by the Energy Commission in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum.
Earlier this month, a Deputy Minister of Energy, Mr John Jinapor, launched an energy conservation campaign dubbed, ‘Switch off the Freezer’, which urges Ghanaians to switch off their refrigerators from 6 p.m. till midnight.
The aim is to offset the current shortfall in electricity supply and allow football fans to watch the World Cup tournament in Brazil uninterrupted.
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Mr Buah said the ‘switch-off-the-freezer’ campaign had also yielded good dividend, resulting in the conservation of 70 megawatts of energy and thereby allowing many Ghanaians to watch the World Cup.
Although conserving 70 megawatts does not come anywhere near the current national energy shortfall of 300 megawatts, the Energy Commission believes the combined effect of the campaigns will help reduce the 400-megawatt annual wastage in the system.
Save-a-watt campaign
The commission and the ministry are riding on the back of those successes to launch another national energy-conservation campaign dubbed, ‘Save a Watt’.
Under the campaign, Ghanaians are being encouraged to well manage the use of their electrical appliances by switching off unused ones and using energy efficient appliances.
The campaigners are drawing on the popularity and influence of Ghanaian music icon, Kojo Antwi, to carry the message to every home, while relying on schoolchildren to serve as ‘police officers’ at home to ‘enforce’ the clarion call.
Mr Buah appealed to the media and mobile telecommunication operators to use their platforms to promote the campaign, while calling on corporate Ghana in general to also get on board.
Role of citizens
The Board Chairman of the Energy Commission, Dr Kwame Ampofo, said energy played a critical role in the lives of people.
He said Ghanaians must understand the role they had to play to ensure that energy was available to all to use.
The Executive Director of the Energy Commission, Dr Alfred Ofosu Ahenkorah, said the ‘Save-a-watt’ campaign was an old initiative by the commission that proved very successful.
Mr Antwi described the campaign as a worthy cause and that he was honoured to be a part of it.
“Energy conservation starts with all of us,” the musician said, adding that there was the need for developers to build in a manner that would allow for good ventilation and lighting, instead of depending on air-conditioners.
Writer’s Email: kofi.yeboah@graphic.com.gh
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