Use electricity sparingly

The Power and Energy Ministry has requested electricity consumers to use electricity sparingly, especially during the daily peak hours of 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. to help reduce the heavy impact on electricity generation caused by the increase in prices of crude oil which had reached US $ 100 per barrel in the international market.

The ministry in a communique issued yesterday said nearly 65 per cent of the daily electricity consumption amounting to 29 million units is produced by thermal power plants operating on fuel oil.

The electricity demand reached 1,900 Megawatts between 6 and 9 p.m. daily when all diesel plants are operating to full capacity.

Almost one third of fuel imports are used for electricity generation and the Government incurred an annual expenditure of Rs. 100 billion on it.

This has contributed towards a grave foreign exchange crisis which may aggravate to bigger proportions on account of the price of a crude oil barrel reaching 100 US dollars.

Since this increase may adversely impact on the production cost of a unit of electricity, the Ministry would request the people to assist in overcoming this problem by using electricity sparingly between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. daily until the proposed power plants at Kerawalapitiya, Norochcholai, Upper Kotmale and Sampur were completed.

The communique said according to recent surveys consumers in the domestic, industrial and commercial sectors wasted 20 per cent of electricity daily due to ignorance.

Since this was a crime they should all get used to using electricity sparingly to help the country tide over the present situation.