Sub: Wastage of Electricity.
Sanjeev Goyal
PMOPG/E/2025/0188438
Concerned Department: Bureau of Energy Efficiency.
Recent reports indicate that during the current winter season, power demand in November has surpassed all previous records. What is surprising is that this surge has occurred even before the peak winter period has set in. A major contributor to this rising demand appears to be the extensive use of water geysers.
Once switched on, a geyser operates silently and offers no reminder that it is running. As a result, it often remains on for far longer than necessary, leading to significant wastage of electricity. This situation is similar to the era before overhead tanks had auto-cut technology, when water tanks frequently overflowed unnoticed. Likewise, a geyser switch that remains ‘on’ goes largely unnoticed, and the appliance continues heating water for extended periods without anyone realizing it.
A parallel can be drawn with traffic safety measures: when the number of two-wheeler accidents increased, authorities mandated that headlights remain on even during the day. The increased visibility helped draw attention and reduce accidents. A simple visual cue made a major difference.
In November, it is unlikely that Delhi residents used room heaters extensively, except perhaps security personnel. Therefore, water geysers are the most probable reason behind the extraordinary spike in electricity demand.
The geygers have indicator (light) to show its running condition but usually these machines are fitted above the human height in bathrooms or outside bathrooms with a probability to go unnoticed, therefore to minimize this wastage, geysers power plug could be redesigned to have a bright, clearly visible indicator light to show when the appliance is working . This simple reminder would prompt users to turn it off when not needed, potentially saving a considerable amount of energy. Additionally, manufacturers could provide a prominently displayed time chart on the body of the geyser, indicating how long it typically takes to heat water to common temperatures. This would help users avoid switching on the appliance unnecessarily early.
In view of the above, it is requested that the specifications for geyser manufacturing be reviewed and upgraded accordingly.
