Action will be taken against those offices under the Energy and Mineral Resources Division that fail to save 25 percent of electricity.
Mohammad Mahbub Hossain, Senior Secretary of the Division gave such instructions in a recent meeting.
Considering the current global situation, the Energy and Mineral Resources Division organised the meeting with the aim of implementing government directives to save power and energy. Some 84 officials from different offices under the division were present there.
The senior secretary said, “We want to set an example by reducing electricity consumption by at least 25 percent in all units including the energy and mineral resources division and all departments, agencies, their organisations and companies under its jurisdiction. Action will be taken against the departments, which cannot implement this decision of the government.”
It was informed in the meeting that electricity consumption should be at least 25 percent less than the average every week based on the average electricity reading of 7 days from the electricity reading unit calculation of the previous two months. In this case, the monitoring committee will check the electricity meter every Sunday and fix the base reading.
They will submit a comparative report next Sunday to the respective head of office, which will be sent to the Ministry and Prime Minister's Office in phases.
The Energy Division official said, “If everyone follows the procedure we are following, it is possible to really reduce the fuel consumption.”
According to the instructions of the energy division, electricity should be saved by using daylight as much as possible, reducing the use of electric lights, fans, air conditioners, TV, refrigerators, elevators. Before leaving the office, lights, fans, computers, air-conditioners should be switched off.
Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) will also take measures to switch off unnecessary lamps including lighting at petrol pumps.
It also stated in the instructions that all the units including this division and the organisations, offices or companies under its jurisdiction should use at least 20 percent less than the allocated fuel (octane/petrol/diesel/gas) ceiling for using 20 percent less of the budget allocation of the energy sector.
The Prime Minister’s Office on July 20, gave a new set of directives, including reducing the use of power by 25 per cent in all public offices and slashing the 20 percent allocation for the energy sector from the current national budget.
The PMO also asked the ministries and divisions to avoid physical presence in meetings and arrange those virtually to save power consumption.
The power distribution agencies have struggled to maintain their electricity rationing schedules, especially outside the capital after the new measures enforced by the government to tackle production shortfall.
