Guyana Hawt Bad Bad

All over social media Guyanese saying the same thing: Dis place hawt bad.

If you can relate to a hotter than usual feeling lately, you are not imagining things. El Niño is bringing hotter and drier conditions, and with that heat comes something else we are all dealing with: higher electricity use.

When the temperature climbs, fans and ACs stay on longer, refrigerators work harder, businesses try to keep cool, and households use more appliances. All this additional electricity use places extra energy usage on the national grid. At the same time, Guyana is growing. More homes, businesses and industries mean more people and organisations depending on electricity every day.

Public Utilities and Aviation Minister, Deodat Indar, recently noted that Guyana’s electricity demand recently reached a peak of about 242 megawatts, up from 221 MW during the same period last year. Government officials expect this demand to rise during the coming months as the heat continues and economic activity expands.

The Government is already working to increase available generation, with additional capacity being brought into service and further power expected from the Gas-to-Energy project. But while government works on the supply side, there is something we could all do on the demand side.

We could use electricity smarter.

That doesn't mean sitting down in the heat and suffering. Nobody wants that. It means looking at the electricity we use and asking whether we really need all of it, all the time.

If the breeze blowing nice, open the windows. Allow fresh air to pass through the house because ventilation is one way Guyanese can cope with hotter weather.

When using AC units, use it efficiently. Keep doors and windows closed while it is running, clean the filters and don't leave it cooling an empty room. Fans can help circulate air without using as much electricity, while thick curtains and blinds can keep some of that afternoon heat outside.

Be energy efficient during peak energy usage times between 7 and 9 PM. Since the evenings are known as the busiest periods for the grid since people are home from school and work, we can make difference decisions by shifting laundry, heavy appliances and other energy-intensive activities to outside the peak period where possible. If something could wait until later, let it wait.

Where possible, businesses can adjust their equipment and industrial operations hours. Government has already been encouraging larger electricity users to adjust their schedules where possible to reduce pressure during peak periods. In the office this could also mean shutting down equipment and AC units when the office closes and finding ways to move heavy electricity use away from the busiest hours.

Small changes might not seem like much. But when thousands of Guyanese make those changes, they add up.

Guyana's electricity demand will continue growing as the country develops even after we have passed with El Niño period. So, while the Government continues strengthening the power system, we could do our part.

Use the AC wisely. Let the breeze in. Turn off what you don't need. Shift heavy electricity use when you can.

Guyana is growing. Let’s make sure our energy habits grow with it.

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