BY FIONA MOTSA
MBABANE– COVID-19 has affected a lot of countries and destabilised many economies.
On Tuesday, the Eswatini Energy Regulatory Authority (ESERA) announced the hike in electricity tariffs, this is a hard pill to swallow but Mandla Ntsakala the Chairman of the Eswatini Consumer Forum has shared some tips to mitigate the tariff hike.
Ntsakala mentioned that the situation was bad given that economies were still recovering from the brutal effects of COVID-19, however tough times call for tough decisions.
“We had hoped that the electricity hike would not happen anytime soon but we must deal with the situation now.
“It is time to use electricity strictly for what is most important. People must also reduce using electricity for luxury right now. Prioritise and look at what is most important to save. It is time to also time to invest in solar panels,” he said.
According to BITESIZE, these are some tips to limit electricity use:
- All countries must increase the use of low carbon technologies e.g. solar panels and develop existing sources that are more sustainable and environmentally friendly than fossil fuels.
- Switch from fossil fuels to alternative sources – solar, wind, wave biomass, geothermal and hydroelectric power
- As developing countries start to use more energy, they are encouraged to develop more sustainable sources of energy and to control their population growth so they use less.
- Reduce reliance on and usage of fossil fuels, and tapping on alternative and greener sources of energy, emissions of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, will fall, helping to reduce global warming and fight climate change.
