DOHA: The Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) is still not going tough with implementation of the law on conservation of water and electricity and the violators have been given time to rectify their errors before the penalties are imposed on them, senior Kahramaa officials said yesterday.
Kahramaa has urged the public to avoid washing cars using potable water and in case people want to do it, they have been advised to minimise water consumption by using a water container, instead of a hose.
People have also been advised to use proper air conditioners during summer since air conditioners are estimated to consume 60 to 70 percent of the total electricity consumption in a building.
The guidelines came as part of a national awareness campaign launched by Kahramaa yesterday for rationalising consumption of water and electricity during summer.
Addressing a news conference yesterday, Eng Nasser Al Mohannadi, customer relations manager at Kahramaa and public relations manager Abdul Rahman Al Khulaifi said the campaign aimed at educating the public about the methods and importance of conserving water and electricity. "The law was issued to support our efforts to create awareness among the public about this important issue. We have come across very few violations of the law since we are not so keen to penalise people," said Al Mohannadi.
The officials said, if some violations were reported by its field staff, Kahramaa would issue a warning to the customer concerned to rectify the error. The fine will be imposed only if the latter fails to comply with the law, despite repeated warnings.
"Our priority is to develop the culture and habit of preserving water and electricity among the public. The law will not be successful in the absence of public awareness," added Al Khulaifi.
The law (No 26 of 2008) has banned using potable water for washing cars or cleaning public yards by a hose or any other flushing tools. Those who violate this rule may face fines up to QR1,000. Leaving the damaged or broken-down parts of the water internal network (taps, pipes etc) without repair causing leakage is also a violation of the law that is punishable with a similar fine.
As a solution to this, Kahramaa has advised regular check and immediate repair of installations and to report to Kahramaa in case of any leakage.
The law has also banned leaving the outdoor lights, fixed on building fences or facades, switched on from 7am to 4.30pm and those who violate this rule could face fines up to QR500. To address this problem, Kahramaa has recommended installing automatic switches (with timer) for outdoor lights in the buildings.
Power consumption in air conditioners can be reduced by 20 per cent by adjusting the thermostat to 23 degrees Celsius. Using high quality air conditioner can save 16 to 40 percent of the bill cost. Regular maintenance of the air conditioner and keeping the filter, condenser tube, evaporator and the outdoor unit clean are also important in reducing power consumption.
© The Peninsula 2010