The increase in fuel prices across the board has shocked everybody and will have the immediate effect of making people more conscious of energy consumption.
One should note however that the measures taken to increase the cost of energy are reactive to the problem. On the other hand medEcology - a non-profit green foundation - believes that the authorities should long ago have adopted a proactive approach by assisting individuals and industry in energy minimisation which, in turn, would cut fuel bills. There are various methods how this can be done, all of which can have a long-term benefit for both the individual and the country.
In light of this, medEcology is making a number of recommendations primarily aimed at cutting energy consumption.
The first initiative that can be taken involves Enemalta. A one-off scheme would provide households with the opportunity to purchase energy saving products like PL lights. These bulbs are more expensive than normal ones and this is why people usually shy away from purchasing them.
What is being suggested is that if a household has an electricity bill of Lm100, it can purchase energy saving bulbs to a maximum value of Lm50 from Enemalta approved outlets. This sum (excluding VAT) would then be credited to the household's account and deducted in the next bill. The net result of this initiative would be a reduction in that household's electricity bill due to a decrease in consumption.
The second initiative we are suggesting calls upon institutions like Malta Enterprise to fund energy audits within companies. Such an audit would recommend methods on how to substantially cut the energy bill. Malta Enterprise could also consider introducing a scheme to assist companies implement an energy audit as direct assistance to industry.
A third initiative is the monitoring of energy consumption in government institutions and agencies. A clear message of energy minimisation needs to be conveyed because it is the taxpayer that eventually pays the electricity bill there too. Here again, energy audits should be conducted to find ways to curb energy consumption. Furthermore, the taxpayer should be informed of the results of every department's and agency's efforts in energy minimisation. This issue is fundamental as it would rally support, showing that the state is willing to do its bit as well.
The fourth initiative calls again on Enemalta to invest in an electricity tariff system that fluctuates according to demand. Households should be financially induced to use electrical appliances, like irons and washing machines, outside the hours when demand by industry is at its peak.
The fifth initiative involves the government. There is a big number of motor vehicles which are over ten years old. An incentive can be launched to scrap such vehicles and their owners would be offered the possibility of buying a new economical car (or even electric/hybrid vehicles) with substantially reduced government taxes. The onus of recycling the old vehicles would fall on car importers. The effect of this would be to have cleaner air, a cut in the fuel bill and fewer people fined for smoke pollution.
The sixth initiative calls upon the environment agency to embark on energy minimisation educational campaigns. Some years ago, medEcology embarked on an educational campaign using its environmental characters Il-Kavallieri ta' l-Ambjent. One of the characters was a glow worm called Musbieha in-Nemnem, who promotes energy awareness. Such initiatives and others should be assisted and developed.
The government is also being urged to start working on a serious energy plan with renewable energy in mind.
We believe it is probably time to consider the option of waste incineration. Whereby all efforts need to remain focused on the three Rs - reduce, re-use and recycle - the option of incineration needs to be looked into. A proper discussion on this matter needs to be held, weighing and balancing all the environmental, social and economic options.
Many initiatives like these have been proposed to the government by various organisations. The question is: Do these ideas and others fit in the state's real agenda on fuel pricing?
Mr Grima is a director of medEcology.
darryl@medecology.org