By CHATULA KANGALI –
THE Zambia Electrometer has increased the production of energy saving bulbs by 1.5 million bulbs per annum following Government’s move to ban the importation of incandescent lights.
The company has increased the production from 500,000 to two million bulbs per annum due to a projected increase in demand.
Government on January 4 this year banned the importation of incandescent light bulbs in a bid to promote energy saving in the country.
The use of such light bulbs would be a criminal offence after June 30 this year.
Marketing manager Joo Chunga said the company had anticipated an increase in the demand of energy saving bulbs.
Mr Chunga said in an interview that most people in the country had continued to use incandescent light bulbs and that after June this year, everyone would be required under the law to use energy saving bulbs.
“We have increased the production of energy saving bulbs because the demand is likely to grow after June. We have done so because we want to meet the anticipated increase in demand of the product on market,” he said.
Mr Chunga said the company had diversified its operation and that by June this year, it would start manufacturing Light Emitting Diodes(LED) bulbs which had a longer lifespan than the current energy saving bulb.
He said LED would comprise both dimmable and non dimmable lighting.
“The LED would have a life span of 36,000 compared to compact florescent which had a lifespan of 8,000.
Some of the LED bulbs would be chargeable while the others would be using solar,” he said.
Mr Chunga noted that few Zambians were using energy saving bulbs because they were expensive.
He said his company would start manufacturing cheaper but high quality energy saving bulbs to meet all the market segments.
Zambia Electrometer is the only company involved in the manufacturing of energy saving bulbs in Southern African.
It has a production capacity of 15,000 bulbs per day and a 36 percent market share in the region.