A nationwide scheme is underway to fit energy-efficient light bulbs at every home in Bahrain, said a report.

The BD3 million ($7.8 million) project is being carried out by the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) and Finance Ministry and is expected to be completed within months, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

It will involve replacing about two million bulbs with more energy-efficient, longer-lasting and non-heating LED alternatives at no cost to homeowners, said Minister of State for Electricity and Water Affairs Dr Abdulhussain Mirza.

"This will mean the lighting efficiency will increase by 80 per cent and since these bulbs do not generate heat, there will be a reduction in air-conditioning costs as well," he told the GDN.

"The entire project will cost around BD3 million and we hope to have it completed by the end of the year," explained Dr Mirza.

"We are working out a comprehensive mechanism to implement this project through which we hope people will be educated on saving electricity. Through this project, Bahrain will have more than 245 GWh (Giga watt hours) of extra electricity annually," the minister said.

"The project also will contribute to the reduction of the high demand for electricity during peak periods and reduce polluting emissions by up to 180,000 tonnes per year as well as result in 2,300 cubic feet of additional natural gas being available per year," he added.

Dr Mirza said plans were also in the pipeline to issue new utility bills, which include the amount customers have to pay as well as what they would have paid if power and water were not subsided.

"For example, we hope when people know what they would have had to pay rather than what they are actually paying, they will start conserving power and water," he added.

"We hope these steps will increase public awareness of the need to conserve electricity," said Dr Mirza.  

The minister also pointed out that there has been a noticeable drop in power cuts during the last year.

He explained that each power interruption during peak season, between May and September, now lasts for an average of 18 minutes as compared with 170 minutes in 2010 and 49 minutes in 2011.

"There were a total of 25,255 interruptions in 2012, compared with 26,735 in 2011 and 32,464 in 2010," he revealed.

"These achievements have been possible with careful planning and optimisation of EWA resources over the last year. Hopefully, we will make sure there are virtually no power interruptions in the years to come," he added.-TradeArabia News Service