Switch off a bulb and help save power, urges minister

Priyanka Kurugala

Every household can help save 100mw of power if one 60w bulb is switched off during peak hours. Currently, 2,000mw of power is consumed during peak hours. If consumers can help in this regard, the country can save Rs 8 billion of the national income, Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranwaka said.

“The peak hours of power consumption are between 6.30pm and 9.30pm. The government expects public support to conserve energy during these times. It is a national task,” he said.

The minister said around 30,000 refrigerators are used countrywide and if consumers switch off refrigeratorsfor at least two hours per day, the country can save 215mw.

Ranawaka said that 96 percent of the income of the CEB is spent on fossil fuel.