The Authority for Electricity Regulation (AER) celebrated yesterday the launch of ‘Yaseer’ — the brand name of its Energy Efficiency and Conservation programme — championing sustainable energy consumption for the benefit of future generations.
The ceremony was held under the auspices of Dr Khamis bin Saif al Jabri, Chairman of the Implementation and Follow-up Support Unit, at the Grand Millennium Hotel. Also in attendance were representatives from a number of stakeholder organisations from the government and private sectors.
Speaking at the event, Qais bin Saud al Zakwani, Executive Director of AER, said: “The Authority is pleased to launch the Yaseer programme as part of its continued commitment towards energy efficiency in the Sultanate. The programme comprises a series of initiatives designed to make consumers aware of the importance of energy efficiency through reduced consumption, thereby the subsidy paid by the government.”
The programme, he said, stems from a directive issued by the Financial Affairs and Energy Resources Council in 2015, assigning responsibility for driving energy efficiency to the Authority. Thereafter, a comprehensive, multidisciplinary plan was formulated in support of the national initiative.
Further, with a view to supporting empirical based policy making, the Authority prepared an Energy Efficiency Data Framework in collaboration with the National Centre for Statistics and Information, Muscat Municipality, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Supreme Council for Planning, and various Supply and Distribution companies.
Among the first steps taken by the Authority in support of the national programme was a survey conducted in 2016 to determine the level of awareness with regard to energy efficiency and rationalisation. Based on the results of the questionnaire, the Authority conducted an awareness campaign on energy efficiency to raise customers’ awareness of reducing the energy consumption.
Further, in a move consumers aware of the government subsidy they enjoy on their electricity consumption, the Authority amended the format of the electricity bills in 2017. “I am pleased to note that this significant step helped raise awareness among customers not only by illustrating the amount of government subsidy paid but highlighting the exact cost of electricity supplied to them as well,” the Executive Director said.
At the same time, the Authority liaised with the Supreme Council for Planning, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Muscat Municipality to help develop Building Codes along with codes for efficiency of electrical appliances, street lighting and others.
“I commend the efforts of Ministry of Commerce and Industry to approve the standards of energy efficiency for a number of electrical appliances, which will cease the importation of some of the most consuming appliances to the Sultanate. The process is also on-going for approving standards of spilt air-conditioner units and other electrical appliances,” he said.
Additionally, cost-reflective tariffs (CRT) were introduced in 2017 for large government, industrial and commercial customers with an annual consumption of 150 MWh and higher. This step led CRT customers to take appropriate measures to rationalise energy consumption, which contributed to reducing capital expenditures and government subsidy for the electricity sector, he added.
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