The Energy Commission is looking at the possibility of introducing energy conservation as a subject in curriculum to encourage Ghanaian children to conserve energy.
The Head of Public Affairs at the Energy Commission, Victor Owusu, disclosed this in Sunyani on Friday during a public forum attended by students, traders, artisans and various associations as part of the ongoing ‘Save A Watt Campaign.’
Mr. Owusu said the three-month campaign, which would run from August to October this year, will largely target school children who would be made energy conservation ambassadors in their homes and communities.
He explained that the ‘Save a watt Campaign’ had been embarked upon to address the current energy crises facing the nation that has resulted in what is popularly known as ‘dumso-dumso.’
According to him, the current demand for energy in Ghana far outweighs supply, saying there is a gap of 15 percent annually.
To meet the energy demand, he said the nation needs to supply over 100 megawatts of power annually.
This, he said, requires a huge investment in the energy sector, which would be very difficult to achieve due to the economic challenges facing the country.
He therefore maintained that energy conservation is the surest way of achieving a massive drop in energy consumption in the country to end the ‘dumso-dumso’ and further distribute the available power fairly to all Ghanaians.
He explained that the campaign has three thematic areas; firstly it will look at changing the attitude of the populace to use electricity wisely to avoid using a lot of appliances at the same time. The second aspect is the end use appliances, under which it will educate Ghanaians to buy only energy efficient appliances to reduce energy consumption, while the third aspect will look at using quality materials and certified electricians in electrical wiring.
Mr. Owusu announced that households that are able to conserve energy within the period would be rewarded.
Professor Mrs. Esi Awuah, Vice Chancellor of the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), entreated Ghanaians not to waste energy.
She noted that everybody has a responsibility to help develop the nation by conserving available energy.
The Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, Eric Opoku, in a speech read on his behalf, reiterated government’s commitment to find lasting solutions to the energy crisis facing the nation.
The Minister expressed concern about the waste of 400 megawatts of power annually through illegal connections, among others and called on the actors in the energy sector to help address it.
FROM Fred Tettey Alarti-Amoako, Sunyani
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