By Christiana Ekpa
The House of Representatives, Thursday asked the Federal Ministry of Power and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to immediately establish a sustainable policy aimed at phasing out non-energy efficient appliances or equipment for domestic, commercial and industrial usage.
The House also equally mandated the Committees on Power and Industry to ensure compliance and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.
These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion titled “Call to Encourage the Importation and Use of Low Energy Consuming Appliances” moved by Hon. Rotimi Agunsoye:
The House noted that energy-efficient appliances help prevent greenhouse emissions and protect the environment as most households use appliances such as televisions, refrigerators, sound systems, computers, ovens, bulbs, air conditioners, and washing machines, etc.
It also noted that countries across the world are using energy-efficient appliances, which is critical to economic development as well as environmental sustainability.
The House was concerned that households in Nigeria still use incandescent bulbs with high voltage, which are very expensive and generate too much heat.
The House said it was aware that in some households the incandescent bulbs have been replaced with light-emitting diodes (LED) bulbs, which are up to ninety percent more efficient than incandescent bulbs.
The House observed that the crisis in the country’s power sector will persist if a decisive approach is not employed at controlling domestic, commercial and industrial usage through adopting more efficient means to reduce energy consumption.
It said it was cognizant that using energy-efficient appliances and equipment minimizes the exploitation of natural resources such as natural gas, coal, water, diesel, petrol, etc., and serves to enhance the conservation of these resources as a way of achieving sustainable development.
The House was disturbed that as other countries have stopped the use of high consuming appliances and equipment, Nigeria has become a dumping ground for such items which come at a considerably cheap price.
