More ways than one to cut energy consumption, say experts

 A transport consultant and consumerism activist say changes in communting habits and lifestyle can help to ease the impact of the energy crunch.

About 200,000 civil servants have begun to work from home under an initiative to reduce energy consumption, but experts say there are other ways to ease the energy crunch.

PETALING JAYA:

 There are many ways to reduce energy consumption, and the work-from-home (WFH) arrangement is hardly among the more effective ones, according to experts.

Instead, transport consultant Wan Agyl Wan Hassan and consumerism activist Marimuthu Nadason argue, a wider shift in how Malaysians consume power has to happen to make a real difference.

About 200,000 civil servants began to work from home on April 15 under a new initiative by the government to conserve energy.

That accounts for about 15% of the total workforce in the civil service, a proportion many believe is insufficient to make a meaningful difference.

Wan Agyl, founder and CEO of transport think tank MY Mobility Vision, pointed out that the the limited improvement in traffic after rolling out WFH for civil servants was expected, given that schools remain open and most private sector employees continue to commute to work.

He also said the arrangement seems to be a mismatch in commuting patterns. “Most government agencies are in Putrajaya, while Kuala Lumpur is a city driven by businesses. The jam will continue, and people will go on using energy,” he said.

He said that unlike the Covid-19 lockdown, the private sector and government-linked companies are not adopting the WFH arrangement.

“The concern is that with people working from home, productivity may be affected,” he said.

Over and above that, children still have to go to school. With a vast majority of civil servants still required to be at the office and private offices continuing to function, the overall savings on energy is negligible, he said.

He said a better alternative is to focus on improving public transport by deploying more buses on the road.

“Put a cap on the number of cars entering the city centre, develop park-and-ride systems in high-density areas like Shah Alam, Subang and Kepong, and ensure high frequency of buses feeding into the city.

“Give commuters the experience of high-frequency services. Buses are flexible as routes can be adjusted based on recurring issues and demand patterns,” he said, adding that the time has also come for people to change their driving habits.

Collective effort 

Marimuthu, the president of the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations, said small steps by individuals could take the country a significant way to the stated objective.

“For instance, we can reduce the use of air-conditioners from eight hours to five hours a day,” he told FMT.

“If you are not using any electrical appliance, switch it off. If every Malaysian cuts down on energy consumption, it will make a big difference.”

Marimuthu also urged Malaysians to be more efficient in their use of petrol or diesel. “For instance, buy more at each trip to the market so you only have to go once or twice instead of multiple times each week.

“Don’t run the washing machine for half loads. It’s about changing our daily activities. We cannot pretend nothing is happening,” he said.

Energy crunch

Economist Yeah Kim Leng of Sunway University said the private sector’s cooperation is essential to ensure that existing supply of fuel in Malaysia will last longer than anticipated.

Yeah said this is necessary to minimise long-term damage to the economy.

Petronas has given an assurance that the existing supply of RON95 petrol and diesel in Malaysia is expected to last until the end of June.

Yeah said the risk of supply shortage of fuel is rising as the disruption to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz continues.

Peace talks between Washington and Tehran have failed over issues such as sanctions relief, raising regional tensions and undermining security in the strait that serves as a conduit for the flow of about a fifth of the world’s oil supply.

He said people should be encouraged to carpool or use public transport instead.

“We have about two months to adapt. Unlike Covid-19, it may not be abrupt, but we will still need to adjust our lifestyle to prolong supply availability.

“The government should also consider looking at alternative sources rather than rely heavily on the Gulf,” he said. - FMT