ENERGY EXPERT CALLS FOR CONSUMER BEHAVIORAL CHANGE AS LOAD-SHEDDING STARTS TOMORROW
Energy Expert Johnstone Chikwanda has called for consumer behavioral change amidst an energy crisis that the country is faced with.
Addressing the media in Lusaka today in the wake of an 8-hour load-shedding announced by ZESCO starting tomorrow, Dr. Chikwanda is appealing to government, the private sector, and domestic customers to switch off lights in unoccupied rooms including government offices and has called on secretary to the cabinet to consider issuing a circular for this initiative to be fully adhered to.
Dr. Chikwanda also wants government to introduce a Statutory Instrument to restrict or ban importation or manufacturing of electric geysers in Zambia for a period of 5 to 10 years or place more tax measures on the importation of electric geysers in order to propose migration to solar geysers as a response to the energy crisis.
He has further appealed to suppliers of renewable energy products not to use the several incentives on renewable energy products introduced by government for profit maximization but should pass on to consumers during this desperate period.
Dr. Chikwanda is of the view that if effectively implemented, these measures will allow the country to save a lot of electricity and can potentially reduce the hours as well as frequency of load-shedding.