By Ayesha Saba ISLAMABAD, May 23 (INP-WealthPK): The National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (NEECA) has begun work on a product energy-efficiency labelling programme to make consumers aware about the importance of using energy-efficient equipment and appliances to save power, said an official of the authority, according to WealthPK. “Pakistan has been among the energy-deficient countries for a couple of decades now. Though electricity generation has increased significantly, it is still unable to match the demand, which is also increasing rapidly with the day. The increase in demand is due to a continuous increase in the number of consumers, specifically, household consumers,” a spokesman of NEECA told WealthPK. “Pakistan still heavily relies on energy produced through fossil fuels despite the fact that such resources are fast getting out of reach due to their rising prices and the local reserves depleting fast,” he said. He stated that it was imperative that pragmatic steps be taken not only to increase power generating capacity but also to reduce demand through energy conservation. “A change of attitude and lifestyle is needed at the national level to conserve electricity, which will help reduce the present runaway demand.” The spokesman said that NEECA was planning to introduce and implement energy conservation policies and practices by making domestic consumers to use energy-efficient home appliances and equipment. “NEECA has begun work on a product energy-efficiency labelling programme because consumer awareness can lead to an increase in demand for energy-efficient equipment,” he elaborated. “The authority focuses on introducing such practices in industry, agriculture, transportation, electricity and buildings.” “The only solution to Pakistan’s power shortages lies in moving towards a more sustainable way of life by producing renewable energy, using fuel-efficient vehicles, using energy-efficient home appliances and equipment in industries.” “We, therefore, have a responsibility in hand to conserve and save energy as much as we can to make it available for future generations,” the NEECA spokesman emphasised. In Pakistan, efficient use of energy resources is hampered by policy constraints and a lack of awareness and information on energy-efficient practices and technologies. In such a situation where there is an energy shortage and the household sector consumes the major part of the total electricity produced, there is a strong need to reduce the residential energy consumption by introducing energy conservation techniques and practices. Pakistan’s economy has tremendous potential for growth and expansion. A vital input for economically and financially sound growth is energy that is sustainable, affordable and accessible to all. Supply-demand gap, especially during peak months of summer, often results in long hours of power outages, especially in rural areas of Pakistan. Supply does not often keep pace with demand during the hot summer months because of shortages of gas and furnace oil for the power plants. According to energy experts, a megawatt preserved is always better than a megawatt created.