Guyana is by far the largest waster of energy in the region, according to an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) report, compiled from a survey of 24 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
And if this country does not implement changes in the way it uses energy, it would need to spend in excess of US$39 million to meet the demand in the next ten years, the report released on Monday last said.
However, if Guyana were to improve its energy efficiency by a mere 10% over the next 10 years by investing in energy efficient light bulbs, electric motors and other measures, it would save the equivalent of 105 gigawatt hours of electricity per year. This means meeting the growing demand for energy would cost US$12 million, a savings of US$27 million.
While there was no data available for Guyana’s overall dependency on fossil fuels, the report said that the cost of electricity here at US$0.220 per kilowatt-hour, was the second highest in region.
Jamaica had the highest rate at US$0.248. However, it should be noted that these figures were compiled in 2006 and Guyana has since had an electricity rate increase. The report said the prices of gasoline and diesel were a little higher than the regional average. However, at US$0.62 and US$0.16 respectively as at August 20 this year, they are far lower than the prices quoted for the majority of territories. In fact, only Bolivia, Trinidad and Tobago, Ecuador and Venezuela had lower fuel prices.
The report, which looks at energy efficiency and conservation as a source of energy, said the region has rich energy efficiency “reserves,” though it has barely begun to exploit them, with the exception of a few countries most notably Mexico and Brazil.
The IDB found that the region is still overwhelmingly reliant on incandescent light bulbs, even though these consume 70% more power than newer “compact fluorescent” alternatives and its factories and water systems use millions of old, energy-wasting electric motors and pumps. In many countries, it revealed, transportation infrastructure—which consumes more than 30% of
the region’s energy—is grossly inefficient. Commercial and residential buildings are full of outdated air conditioning systems, refrigerators, washing machines and water heaters.
Whether the region will exploit its energy efficient reserves, the report said, depends on whether governments provide the right incentives, such as tax rebates, subsidies and regulations requiring specific efficiency standards for vehicles and appliances among others.
The IDB said Latin American governments were spending billions of dollars to subsidize fuel prices. It noted that the Financial Times recently reported that Latin America and the Caribbean will spend at least US$50 billion in subsidies for transportation fuel during 2008 and added that this was more than five times what the IDB will lend to the region during 2009.
……………Oh!………………..hello!!…………….energy …………….somebody now see it…………..idb………….inspectors from the bank should first do a needs analysis …………….and include the university of guyana department of technology …………..there are so many out dated equipment that cause some machine shops to go out of business………………and consumers continue to pay high electric bills becaue of the use of outdated equipment……………….all because the government choose not to establish an energy standard to cut cost on the consumer side ……………………for guyana and guyanese…………………everything sits on energy and most guyanese consumers are not in tune with energy consumption…………what to do……………establish an energy reserch project with the university of guyana department of technology and sociology department to do studies in the ten adminstrative regions to combat the over use of energy energy. ……………………..we don’t need esco or energy performance contractors………..to come to guyana and tell us where and how to conserve energy……….plant more tree in georgetown to produce more shade………….review wiring methods in homes…………….change methods of cooling (HVAC)……….i know where this is going with the idb………the government will have to take another loan for energy upgrade across the nation………..we don’ t need escos (energy saving companies) in guyana ……………..booker tate may be one ……………not sure………………i know this was coming after the government started to put water meterin place………..guyanese be onyour guard……….
To correct and to regularize the situation in Guyana relating to the use of incandescent light bulbs and less efficient equipment it is imperative that the Government of the day pass legislation regularizing the importation of these light bulbs and equipment. The legislation should be crafted in such a way that will prevent the importation of these bulbs or increase the tax on them thereby making them more expensive than the compact fluorescent.
Secondly to reduce on the importation of fuel the Government should give incentive that allow for the importation of smaller cars such as 1300CC. The current system uses the same tax rate for a 1500CC and 1300cc and I think it is also applicable to 1000CC. This system should be changed which will ultimately result in the reduction of the fuel importation bill.
Regarding equipment the Government should promote and market energy Starr equipment to its people. However most of the newer equipment now are energy starred.
We have to act now in the best interest of our people.
This story has a familiar ring to it. I mean wasn’t there a scandal in Jamaica concerning efficiency light bulb from Cuba, and large amount of money vanishing. I am surprise to hear that we are the largest waster of energy in the region, for country that has less than a million populations, also when I travel to Guyana, black-out is a daily thing.
I still wonder why in “The Land of MANY WATERS” there is no major use of hydroelectricity as a means of reducing our country’s energy plight. Yes, like anything, the “starting up” process may require some amount of resources but once things have achieved a certain momentum they stabilise.
I think there are benefits for a “few” hence the reluctance to utilise hydroelectricity, among other options.
YES I AGREE WITH FULANO I N ORDER FOR A COUNTRY TO GROW ECON OMICALLY THREE FUNDAMENTAL THINGS MUST BE IN PLACE .ELECTRICY WATER AND GOOD ROADS FOR TRANSPORTATION ANDCOMMUNICATION TO BRIDGE THE VAST TERRITORY SUCH AS GUYANA.IT ISO SAD THAT WE ARE SO FAR BEHIND THE THESE MODERN TMES.
There is the saying “penny wise and pound foolish” We are asking the developed world to give us grant money to support the maintenance of the rainforest and other environmental issues, but we are not investing in a “going green” campaign – educating the public and making “green” products readily available -exploring alternative forms of energy and cutting down on all the burning of rubbish all over the capital – no wonder we are one of the poorest countries in the region – let us not squander our children’s future – The government cannot just talk the talk – but they need to walk the walk
This is what happens when you have an incompitent government running the country. There is no inovative or proactive thinkers in Guyana.
And I’m as just surprised as DMACK, the amount of blackouts the country experience daily, how come we use so much energy?
Every year we send hundreds of students on scholarships around the world to come back and occupy a desk with a fancy title and nothing more.
How come there’s no research labs at UG? Sorry, I meant “functional research labs”. Where is are the inovative thinkers at UG.
The problem is that Guyanese believe in status and name tags. That’r it !!!!
Re: “Where (is) are the in(n)ovative thinkers at UG….” They may all be in Region Eleven (11) – perhaps! ;-) How on this God’s greening Earth you expect intelligent persons (engineers, scientists….) to put up with nonsensical politicians in Guyana?
There will be no let up ,,on the waste of energy,, since building concrete without thinking “green “,,, waste of energy will be consumed and the govt will be on the perpetual “wheel ” ,, but in fact it YOU ,, whose on the wheel ,, by the taxes the govt MUST introduce to give u the benefits that u clamour for ,,
many ,,– they know who they are — run fans and lights ,, while they “stick ” the meter,, some take it out during the daylight hours ,, while there r those who KEEP it FIXED round the clock ,, and simply take the trouble to disconnect the illegal connection when they see the meter reader reading on the street where they live ,,
but more to the report by the IDB ,, and their report ,, i shall call them to find out more abt the survey ,, and look at the findings in microscope ,, to ascertain,, if we indeed are the #1 energy expenders of the region ,, that being said brings me more to the burning issue of thinking ” green ” ! any how it’s sliced ,, GUYANA is minutes away from the equator and everyone who lives on the coast ,, will be
subjected to 6 hours of wind while they suffer,,animals and all else ,, until the tide turns ,, so wastage will occur ,, here are some places where wastage is
a habit ! all govt offfices ,, and insttutions ,, some of them are air conditioned !
all the while they live next ,, just minutes away from the scorching rays of the sun 93 million miles away ,, yet effective enough to be the CAUSE of wastage ! and yet with all the sweating they do ,, while on the job ,, it’s in order to observe the way they dress ! ,,, it’s a scientific fact that wind is constant the higher you go ,,
and this is why education is the key ,,,, cos to have a handle on why because GUYANA was given lemons ,, the “ONLY best thing to do with lemons/limes is to mek limewatahso all the land omai ,, whose pollution GY can do without ,, so that we all can move from the tempestous lashing of the atlantic,, and living with the psychological but perpetual fear of the next flood ,, since it’s the burning ,, not only of garbage ,, that is the creator of 1 of the elements of rain ,, which will fall ,, regardless ,, since we are part of the rain forest ,, and we are part of the ” guiana shield ” our geograhical location makes us part of the drainer of the worlds largest water shed on the planet ,, so there’s no telling when the next flood will be ,, but one can come very close to have a measure if it can be so defined ,, but that will have to be truncated ,, but in order for the wastage to STOP the govt must first move itself away from the coast ,, and the people will follow,, hardly anyone i know who will want the post office at the Sororieng foot hills ,, while they live on the coast ,,
so wastage is cause by inordinate and visionless thinking of a bunch of losers who advise the President on matters of “green”,, living up in the hills is so much more ,, healthy ,, the ameriandianas do it ,, and they live ! but ,, the waste will be a stone around the collective necjks until YOU admit ,, that in order to live “green ”
you have to move away from the coast,, when the “dutch ” came he found what he needed on the coast ,, never had any intentions of staying where u are now !
My friends,
This joker is just another scam artist sent in by the bank, to butter up Guyana again as a thanksgiving turkey.
Many people here in the USA went along with this scam and bought the latest energy efficient appliances, but that did not help them in anyway.
The only ones that profited were the appliance manufacturers and the energy companies. What happened is that these appliances placed a lesser drain on energy provider systems, but the utility companies turned around and tripled the price of fuel, and electricity, so you end up paying more for less.
Those living in New York can attest to, seeing in the news papers, thousands of names of home owners that are unable to pay their water bill. That is because they raised the bill 65% and the energy bill 85% in a few short years. Now in order to get their payment, they are selling this debt to anyone who then gets to put a lean on your home, If you think I am lying, ask some of the folks blogging on the site.
Many homeowners in America, with all the latest gadgets, still have to keep their lights and Ac’s off to save a buck on their utility bill, and this is no joke.
Now this guy is setting up Guyana to take another loan for appliance upgrades, but here in lies the problem. Those latest energy efficient appliances are not user servicable, and not cheap either.
The old energy guzzling Betsies still in use today in Guyana, are user servicable, and were kept running for 30 to forty years, because the owners were able to tinker with them.
Bottom line is this, after Guyana spend millions in loan money to upgrade with all the appliances coming from American business, they will turn around and raise the price of oil so that you end up being suckered twice.
Guyana need to look into submersible hydro generators and install then under the river bridges. Now there are dozens of models all over the internet, but if Guyana takes this proposal to the IDB, guess what would be their response,-you got it right again,- my friends. No profit for me, means no loan for you
Joe.