Abundance of resources breeds waste

Bounty makes expatriates careless, some say, while others have curtailed their energy consumption.

Along with other forms of energy, Dubai uses hydroelectricity. A growing awareness of green issues has spurred some to conserve more. Ryan Carter / The National

Hitting consumers in their wallets is the most effective way to reduce water and electricity consumption, householders say. The slab-based tariff system introduced recently in Dubai and Sharjah has increased the rates charged for water and electricity as consumption rises.
"We're definitely trying to cut down on water and electricity as the slab system has come in now," said Elizabeth Jacob, 30, an Indian housewife in Sharjah. The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) and the Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (Sewa) have both introduced the system in an effort to force customers to cut consumption. In Sharjah, electricity costs 20 fils per kilowatt hour (kw/h) up to 2,000 kw/h, while the next 2,000 units are 24 fils each. The cost rises to 28 fils per unit between 4,000 and 6,000 kw/h, and above this consumers are charged 33 fils per kw/h. A similar sliding scale applies to water.
Dewa launched a publicity campaign last week to back up the initiative with the slogan "Now that you know, don't let it go". Its aim is to persuade customers to reduce consumption by explaining the costs of producing electricity and clean water. Dewa is also producing posters, billboards and stickers to press home the message. But Mrs Jacob said expatriates tended to use too much electricity and water because they seemed to be in plentiful supply.
"Coming from a country where we have water shortages, when people come here, because it's in abundance, they just play around with it. And you see lights on in most houses, whether they're using them or not," she said. Electricity and water consumption in the UAE heavily outstrips that in many developed countries. According to data from the US Central Intelligence Agency's Factbook, the UAE uses 52.6 billion kw/h of electricity each year, or 1,135 megawatt hours (mw/h) per person.
This is less than half that of Iceland, at 3,152 mw/h, where consumption is high because of heating bills. However, it is about double the consumption of the United Kingdom and Bahrain. The UAE is ranked 10th in the world for per capita electricity consumption, although it is behind other Gulf states such as Qatar and Kuwait. Earlier this year, it was predicted that the country's electricity demand would grow by 45 per cent over the next three years because of population growth and new industries.
Average water consumption in the Emirates is 511 cubic metres per year, according to the CIA, more than double the UK's figure of 197 cubic metres. Fraser Hamilton, a Dubai-based Scotsman who has lived in the UAE for two and a half years, said some expatriates became careless with water and energy when they moved to the UAE. "There is also the situation where a lot of utility bills are paid by the company," he said, which means the user does not worry about how much he uses.
"If you had nagging parents before you moved out here, you probably switch lights off and don't waste water, but there are people who don't come from that background." Melissa Scott, 29, a Dubai-based office manager from Ireland, said she tried to switch off lights and air conditioners, but there were many people who did not. "When people come out, it's the expat lifestyle," she said. "With electricity cheap [they think], 'We can leave the lights on and we can water the garden as much as we want'.
"I have been here 18 years and I know that you don't leave your lights on and you don't leave your AC on. "Also, I think in the last year or two people are being more careful because everything is going green and there is recycling. They are taking it on board." Peter McCann, 40, a managing director from England who has lived in the UAE for 12 years, has also noticed a growing awareness of green issues. "I think people are becoming more aware globally. They are becoming sensitive to water usage, irrespective of whether they can afford it."
Asif Iktekhar, 28, from Pakistan, the owner of a mobile phone company, said most expatriates from the subcontinent were reasonably careful with utilities. "We have a habit of saving electricity because it's so expensive over there," he said. "To some extent they maintain it here, but they're not as careful as in their home country."
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