Using less power

In Bangladesh, power outage is now our daily experience. There is hardly any day when we do not have to face unannounced power cuts for hours. Frequent power outages and scorching heat have made our life miserable. Some of the power cuts last more than an hour. And it is happening four to five times a day in Dhaka city. Things are worse in rural areas. In this situation, what we all need to do is to be super cautious about using electricity. If we become economical in the use of power, the saved electricity can be used for other purposes.

Many of us canmot think of our life without air-condition, refrigerator and washing machine. All these home appliances consume large amount of power. Moreover, we often forget to turn the lights off when we leave our room. However, it is necessary to help save electricity and lower your utility bills. As a homeowner, turning the lights off when you are not using them can help save money by reducing your electricity bills and extending the life of your light bulbs. Analysing Bangladesh's recent load-shedding situation, we can say that turning your appliances off is very important. It can make your home more energy-efficient. While choosing home appliance options, you should always consider high-quality and cost-effective options.

We must raise public awareness about using less power. And we can do so by staying away from illuminating shops and shopping malls, digital displays and decorative lights as they consume huge power. We no longer need billboards or digital displays that are kept on for the entire night. The same can be said about some street lights. A number of them could be switched off before the dawn. The lights in the high-rise buildings where the entire staircase is illuminated may be switched off at one point. The authorities concerned should encourage everyone to use solar panels more. These are some of the measures which we can collectively and willingly implement and for sure they will save at least 5-7 per cent of power demand.

Arpit Parikh,

Senior Banker, Dhaka,

arpitvparikh@yahoo.com