Dubai campaign to save water and electricity

Residents have been urged to stop or minimise the use of home appliances to help save electricity and water during peak hours in July and August. A campaign named ‘Peak Load' is being launched by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) from Friday to educate the public on the importance of conserving electricity and water. "We urge people not to use washing machines, electric ovens, dishwashers, irons, water heaters for at least five hours during ‘peak load' time from noon to 5pm and also keep your air conditioner temperature control at 24C as it will be of great help to reduce consumption of electricity and conserve the environment," Saeed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of Dewa said. The two-month campaign aims to educate all UAE residents. Al Tayer said the campaign also aims to provide tips on rationalising the use of power and water as well as help residents save money on their utility bills. He said the use of electricity and water increases during summer months and puts a lot of pressure on power production. "In the last few years, we have witnessed the highest consumption levels of water and electricity during the summer peak hours. This encouraged us to adopt the idea of reducing consumption during the ‘Peak Load' and give a break to the household appliances and daily chores during this time," Al Tayer added. Amal Koshak, senior manager of Demand and Tariff Management at Dewa, said: "There are many ways people can reduce consumption during the ‘Peak Load' hours. The best way is not to use household appliances such as washing machine, iron or vacuum cleaner; people can turn their air-conditioning down to 24 Celsius, turn off all lights when they leave a room and ensure that they water their gardens early in the morning." Residents have welcomed the campaign and called it a good initiative to remind people of the importance of saving power. "Similar campaigns should also be launched in Sharjah where residents face power cuts every year," said Taufiq Ahmad, a Sharjah resident.