Dewa: Switch to energy-efficient home appliances

Before you replace your ailing air conditioner or old washing machine, officials with the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) are asking you to give a rethink to the devices you use that draw power. Dewa announced yesterday that it has launched its home appliances campaign dubbed ‘Do Good to Planet Earth', a six-week initiative to get all of us to use energy more wisely through wiser choices. The key plank in the campaign is about choosing energy-saving appliances that can save at least 25 per cent more water and electricity than standard devices of yesteryear. Eco-friendly technology Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of Dewa, said in a statement yesterday that energy savings are only as good as the technology behind them. "Achieving long-term environmental sustainability requires efficient management of resources and deploying clean energy techniques for energy integration and development," Al Tayer said. He pointed out that savings can be reached "not merely by reducing usage but also by using the right, environmentally efficient technologies to drive greater individual and social contributions to sustainability". Dewa officials noted that appliance manufacturers have come up with revolutionary changes to their products such as water-saving washing machines and power-friendly air conditioners. Light bulbs that use 50 per cent less power as well as dishwashers and refrigerators that draw up to 30 per cent less water and energy are now available at retailers across the UAE. Capital costs spent on acquiring the new energy-efficient devices can be quickly returned to owners by means of cheaper electricity bills in the years ahead. Global warming Amal Koshak, senior manager of marketing communication at Dewa, said "a few years back, several international companies started the production of environment-friendly home appliances in the face of the onset of global warming. "They are now returning to the market with more advanced technologies which match our goals to secure a more sustainable lifestyle in the future." To run simultaneously with Dewa's ‘Peak Load Campaign', the latest initiative will reach out to consumers across all venues, the organisation said, including via Facebook and Twitter.