The Energy Commission has recommended the replacement of six million incandescent lamps with contact fluorescent lamps throughout the country as a measure to conserve energy and help save the nation from the current energy crisis. The replacement which is based on the commission’s statistics is expected to reduce demand and consumption of electricity by between 200 megawatts and 240 megawatts during the peak hours (between 6 pm and 11 pm).

The acting Executive Secretary of the Energy Commission, Alfred Ofosu Ahenkora said the commission presented the recommendation to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning in October last year. Following the recommendation, he said the ministry placed orders for one million compact lamps which had just began to arrive, added that the replacement exercise would begin with military installations after which it would be extended to other parts of the country.

The worsening energy situation in the country has necessitated a national commitment to conserve energy in order to save the Akosombo Dam from total collapse. Mr Ahenkora said it was unfortunate that many people did not seem to appreciate the problem and so left their electrical gadgets on even when their use was not needed. “The Golden Rule is to switch off when you don’t need light,” he remarked, adding that if everyone complied with that rule, there would not be the need to shut down the Akosombo Dam.

Mr Ahenkora described as useless the attitude of some people who decorated their houses with lights. He underlined the need for all to conserve energy, indicating that the commission would enforce to the letter the Energy Efficiency Regulation, 2005 (LI1815), which encouraged the importation of energy- efficient air conditioners.

The regulation provides that air conditioners that are imported to Ghana should have a ratio of 2.8 watts of cooling for every unit of energy consumed. He advised the public against the patronage of used electrical appliances since they consumed a lot of energy.