NAGPUR NEWS :-Bill threat makes citizensturn to saving power

The zero load-shedding that came with a stiff surcharge may do what years of public awareness failed: spur Nagpurians to save power.

Though citizens are enjoying 24x7 electricity supply, they are also apprehensive about the nasty shock that the coming power bill may give them. They will have to pay 51 paise per unit over and above the normal bill for the privilege of being free from power cuts. Moreover, even the basic tariff has increased.

They have turned their attention towards conserving power. Not an easy job since even the average urban household now has gadgets like TVs, DVD or CD player, music system, geyser, refrigerator and washing machine. Amitabh Khanna, a software professional, said having power round-the-clock should not lead to misuse of power. "People should not forget the days when they had eight hours of load-shedding," he pointed out. According to him, now people should put in extra efforts to save energy and by doing so they would also save money.

Sapna Saxena, a lady entrepreneur, said that citizens should opt for best measures to cut down on power consumption. She also pointed out that with ZLS, the Nagpurians should be extra cautious with every light bulb. Rajiv Jagtap, a citizen, said that 51 paise per unit tariff hike is affordable, but Nagpurians should not forget that they had faced eight hours of load-shedding in the past. He pointed out now citizens should try to save power as much as they can. He advised that people should fit Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) in high usage areas such as corridors, kitchens and drawing rooms. "By doing so we would not only save money but also power which would help people residing in other towns and rural areas load-shedding still exists," he said.

P Asmita, a homemaker, said that she would ensure that the power bills do not go up by saving electricity. "Since load-shedding time, we were putting in efforts to save energy by taking measures like unplugging home appliances when not in use," she claimed, "We would continue with this."

Kunal Ghumre, accounts professional, said that on Friday too there was a load-shedding in Laxmi Nagar area. He said that when there was a power cut, the MSEDCL should not charge extra tariff. Ghumre said that his family always tried to save power as much as they could.

However, many feel that with ZLS the MSEDCL's should ensure good and uninterrupted power supply. Sameer Jadhav, industrialist, said that paying 51 paise per unit for uninterrupted power supply
was not a bad deal. He stressed that now the MSEDCL should try to improve its services.

When it comes to saving power, little steps go a long way. Precisely because we consume power every step of the way, even small measures add up to a lot at the end of the month.