The crux of energy saving lies within the household and who better to take charge of energy conserving than the housewife.
It is only a matter of taking a few steps to stop the monthly electricity bill from spiralling and mitigating the electricity crisis.
“All you need to do is to sacrifice a little for your family,” said housewife Seema Azhar, “this small sacrifice rewards well.”
“I have two air conditioners installed in two separate bedrooms,” Seema said. “Last summer, me and my husband used to sleep in one room while my children slept in the other room and both air conditioners remained switched on,” she said, “our monthly electricity bill would come to Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000.”
“The electricity bill would eat up around 20 percent of my husband’s salary and we would often face problems managing the monthly budget,” Seema added.
“This summer our family decided to switch off one of the ACs to save monthly bill and sleep in one room,” Shaista added.
“Me and my husband decided to sleep in our children room this summer. The electircy bill was reduced 50 percent and came down to Rs 5,100,” she said adding the saved money could be used for many things. “It is double benefit, as we are saving money for ourselves and also conserving electricity during an electricity crisis,” she added.
Another way of saving electricity is reducing the use of dryers during summer. “I never use dryers or spinners during the summer, as it is not required. Clothes dry without them,” said another housewife Irem Baig adding.
“It is not necessary to think only large appliances help save electricity,” said Irem. She said her family gradually shifted to energy savers and now they only use energy savers at their home. “We have gotten rid of our bulbs and tubelights and only use energy saver. Though the initial investment is high but it proves effective in the long run,” she added.
The positive thinking on the part of these housewives is aiding in bearing the electricity crisis. Even small steps have huge consequences. Housewives must convince their families to take small steps to conserve energy. They can sit with their children and husbands and educate them on the small measures to save energy.
Each appliance can save: Each electrical appliance if used wisely can save electricity. For instance, it is common practice to not take out the plugs of certain items like TV, computers, microwaves, mobile phone chargers and electric motors thinking they are not using power. According to scientific research, when electricity-consuming gadgets are not being used but are plugged on, a low-energy current flows through them, dissipating energy. It is an easy task to plug off devices. Appliances must be checked regularly and if found plugged they must be plugged out. PEPCO believes around 200-300MW of electricity can be saved via implementing these small steps. While it is not a huge amount, it is only through small steps that big things can be achieved.
