When Daniel Mutinda built his house in Syokimau, he was happy that his days of renting were over. He went ahead to fit the house with what he calls the, “latest lighting innovations”.
Chandeliers with dozens of bulbs hang from the sitting room ceiling and the small foyer outside. Tens of lighting devices illuminate the perimeter wall. At night, his home resembles a mini-city.
But Mutinda forgot one thing. Though he was no longer paying rent, his power bills were rising astronomically by the day, thanks to his “lighting innovation”. What went wrong?
While they were aesthetically beautiful, Mutinda had used unsuitable and inefficient lighting materials that drained the very finances he had hoped to save.
Millions of home owners face the same dilemma. They install expensive power gadgets without due consideration to the amount of energy they will consume.
In Africa, the building sector consumes around 56 per cent of the total energy supply, making it the single largest consumer of energy compared to transport and industry sectors.
How can households determine whether their power consumption is driving their overall home budget over the roof?
According to the head of the Urban Energy Unit at UN-Habitat Dr Vincent Kitio, very few buildings in Africa conduct a comprehensive energy audit. What does it involve?
“This is a special inspection to determine whether there are energy inefficiencies in a home or a building. A qualified tester uses methods that comply with industry standards. A written report includes recommendations and a detailed cost and saving analysis,” he says.
The practice, which is yet to take root in Kenya, is commonly used in developed countries. Such audits are important in gauging the value of a home in case of future sale.
“The best examples are in Europe where you have to conduct an energy audit before selling a building. You can imagine the pain of someone buying a building where power bills are close to what some people pay in rent. If the building does not conform, then it must be brought close to correct standards,” says Kitio.
Kitio suggests that Kenyans can start by using the less rigorous energy assessment process that evaluates a home’s energy efficiency by highlighting possible weak points and cost-cutting measures.
