Business

Electricity: 'don't stop saving now'

14 April 2009

The global economic slowdown, coupled with South Africans' commitment to conserving energy, has saved the country 645 megawatts in the past year, the Energy Advisory Committee said on Wednesday.

"There is evidence that demand went down by eight percent due to the economic slowdown, particularly in the manufacturing sector," committee member Nelly Magubane said following a meeting with President Kgalema Motlanthe at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

This was good news for South Africans as they would not experience the same power failures this winter as they did last year.

"Most of the equipment ... has now been taken for repairs to ensure that, come winter, we do not experience power shortages," Magubane said.

However, the committee warned that it would be unwise to start wasting energy on the basis of what has been saved.

"We are not in any way suggesting that the public should now be reckless because we have saved ... We have not arrived," said Herbert Mkhize, a committee member representing the National Economic Development and Labour Council.

"The saving that came about because of the slowdown cannot be celebrated."

Some of the slowdown in demand could be attributed to the public's use of compact fluorescent light, as well as businesses using less electricity by cutting down on air conditioning and heating, Magubane added.

Sapa