Cost-effective electric lights may help Bosnia save EUR 50 mln annually

The use of incandescent light bulbs, which were phased out in European Union member states in 2012, accounts for the consumption of 1.12 billion kWh of electricity annually in households in Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to a report by local media on the widespread use of traditional bulbs.

The more rational spending of electricity in this sector can save over 50 million euros annually in Bosnia, the Banja Luka-based daily Nezavisne Novine reported on Tuesday.

According to the country's power regulating agency, Bosnian households annually consume over 4.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity and a quarter of that amount goes on lighting.

The public lighting system consumes an additional 167 million kWh of power, and according to the estimates, Bosnia earmarks EUR 66.6 million for lighting annually.

The application of types of cost-effective electric lights is likely to ensure the saving of 80% of electricity, which leads to the conclusion that this will also save EUR 50 million.

Experts were quoted as warning that the entire system of generation, transmission and use of electric power in Bosnia is outdated and inefficient. Annually, losses on the transmission grid are about 1200 kWh.

In mid-December, representatives of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Bosnia and the U.S. Agency for International Aid (USAID) as well as the German GIZ society for international cooperation warned that Bosnia and Herzegovina was spending a disproportionately high share of its Gross Domestic Product on energy, and concluded that an improved energy efficiency policy might help the country to save over 400 million euros annually. On that occasion those agencies and the Delegation of the European Union in Bosnia signed a memorandum on cooperation to help Bosnia's authorities to implement comprehensive energy efficiency strategy.

(Hina)