Energy Conservation Plan – Markets to Close by 8:30pm, Weddings Halls by 10pm

The Federal Government has shared its energy conservation plan that will enforce the closure of markets by 8:30 pm and wedding halls by 10:00 pm. According to the details, the announcement was made by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday during a press conference alongside ministers Sherry Rehman, Khurram Dastagir Khan, and Marriyum Aurangzeb.

The Defence Minister said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed to cut the electricity usage by 30% in all departments of the Federal Capital and urged officials to avoid any unnecessary consumption of electricity in the offices.

Government also banned the production of old filament bulbs from February 1, 2023 and said that production after mentioned date will incur additional duty and the step is expected to save Rs. 22 billion annually.

Moreover, the energy conservation plan also bans the production of inefficient electric fans that consume 120-130 watts of electricity with additional during being imposed on their manufacturing after the mentioned date.

Instead, the Government of has instructed use of 60-80 watt electric fans to reduce the country’s energy consumption and this measure is expected to save the country Rs. 15 billion annually.

The Government has also announced the installation of conical baffle in geysers within one year in order to conserve gas usage. This step is expected to save Rs. 92 billion billion annually. Apart from these measures, the Government has announced use of alternate streetlights at night in order to conserve energy.

Furthermore, the Government is going to announce a new building code for the construction sector as maintenance cost of buildings is very high.

In terms of commute, the Defence Minister announced that e-bikes will be introduced countrywide to help save money on oil worth Rs. 3 billion on an annual basis.

Additionally, the minister has announced that the cabinet will form a committee to submit a report on implementing a work from home policy in offices.

The Government has launched a comprehensive awareness campaign to motivate citizens to take up these measures in order to ensure conservation of electricity. PEMRA has been directed to ensure that TV channels and radios spend at least 10% of their commercial time for the awareness campaign.

Read more: Latest Petrol Prices in Pakistan – 1 January 2023.

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