PRE-PAID METERS – PROMOTING EFFICIENT USE OF ENERGY

From experience I have observed that usage of pre-paid electricity meter promotes frugal management of electric energy. I remember when we used to get our monthly readings from analog meters issued by NEPA- you know the type with its spinning dial and archaic log. This system of billing customers was not only crude and prone to corruption; its debit nature encouraged wastage, arbitrariness or estimated billings, refusal to pay and bankruptcy of power companies.  

Today the case is somewhat different. Discos all over are providing smart pre-paid meters to their customers, which from my observation, results in better management of their electricity credit. How it happens is not rocket science. Pre-paid meters brings out the value of electric credit when loaded by customers because they can see how it depletes with every minute that passes, with every current used up in providing “light”. Just like call credit is used up when we make call on our cell phones, electric credit loaded in pre-paid meters is expended the same way to provide electricity.

With pre-paid meters, customers now know the importance of using low wattage appliances and gadgets which is a smart way of economizing on their energy supply. For instance, I observed that  pre-paid meters supplied by Ikeja Electric nowadays promote the replacement of conventional bulbs to energy saving bulbs (CFLs) by their customers who are made aware of energy guzzling properties of those 80 and 100 watts light bulbs when their energy credit run out within weeks of loading it. Same behavior is observed in industries and other customers with high energy demand.  Since energy credit is bought with cash before it is loaded into the meters, the value of energy they supply is better appreciated now by customers.

I sincerely hope the Discos will heed the admonition of Mr. Raji Fashola (SAN) and supply pre-paid meters to their customers. Its advantages are far reaching. Pre-paid meters eliminate estimated billing on the part of Discos, in the way bringing probity to the billing system. It also cuts wastage in energy use by customers, bringing out the immeasurable value of negawatt to the good people of Nigeria. If you are yet to get a pre-paid meter, I urge you to go and place order for one with your Disco. You will become a better manager of your energy when you start using it. Cheers!!

WSO 

VALUE OF NEGAWATT

The value of a diamond ring goes beyond its bling. A diamond ring, worn or contemplated to be, is ever a priced treasure in the market for what it represents- symbol of unbreakable bond between two people united by love. The expensive price aside, wearer of a diamond ring wishes to get the “happy ever after” that really brings out the worth of the diamond in the ring. Ask any real woman, to wear a diamond ring on unhappy heart is worse than being single (as I see it sha).  The value of a diamond ring is relative to the happiness it brings.

Same for forest of trees. The value of forest to us as inhabitants of planet earth cannot be fully appreciated unless we see it relative to the benefits it brings us. The canopy of carbon dioxide that sustains the eco system, made possible by the abundance of trees, holds more value to earth than hundred skyscrapers that populate Manhattan in New York City. Without these trees, the green planet will just fizzle out, leaving the tall skyscrapers vacant and stark; the city a shadow of concrete waste and tar. Believe me, a tree holds more value than a skyscraper; as it concerns sustainability and subsistence of this green planet.

It is the reason why we hold negawatt in high esteem in our company. Our concern as evangelists of climate change is to encourage less development of power plants but preach more development of virtual power plant (VPP) erected in space when energy is efficiently managed, resulting in equitable distribution of energy that eschews wastage. Imagine we are able to save enough energy from the ones we waste and channel that “saved energy” to another person in need of it. It obviates the need build power plants when the ones in use can still serve its intended customers.

Join us in building trees in the cloud. Invest in negawatt today. It pays.

WSO     

ENERGY CENSUS – ESSENSE OF SUSTAINABILITY

The Honourable Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Raji Fashola (SAN) recent exhortation to the Discos to conduct energy audit for their customer base is instructive and imperative in the drive to make Nigeria achieve sustainability especially in power resources. Without credible energy audit exercises conducted on Nigerian electricity consumers to know for certain how much energy is demanded, then the dream to generate 10, 000 Megawatts of electricity as envisioned by the present administration could be a pipe dream.

Why did I say this? It is a general rule in art of planning that you should never estimate when you can calculate. To estimate the energy demand of a class of customer and then plan for the supply, distribution and usage of such customer’s electricity demand without knowing exactly their demand would definitely result in inefficient management of such energy. This is because energy usage is dynamic and fluctuates with every period of usage. As a matter of fact, there can never be two exact energy usage from two different customers and this why it is always recommended that energy audit be conducted to know for certain energy demand and usage patterns of electricity users. 

The essence of energy audit is to have credible data on which to plan efficiently for electricity distribution and exploitation. This data will give experts informed decisions on what, when, how and why electricity is consumed in order to advance solutions to power problems. At Zeus Energy Limited, we offer energy audit services to our clients using global standards and instrumentation to proffer solutions to their energy challenges like current overload, electricity spike, generator sizing, solar PV sizing and more. With credible energy data made available through energy audit, our clients are made better managers of their energy.

Let me ask you a question: What is your personal energy demand per day? I am sure you have no idea. Lol. That is why you need to pay us a visit and conduct an energy audit for yourself. Knowing your energy demand would make you a smart manager of your energy any day, anytime. Be green.

See you soon.

WSO 

PS: Happy birthday to Nigeria on 1st October and to Me on 3rd October, 2016. Libra born!!!