Islamabad – (Aasi, Islamabad)- Every summer, Pakistan’s energy crisis returns like clockwork. Demand shoots past 30,000 megawatts, while in winter it sinks to less than half. That 17,000 MW seasonal gap is not just about air conditioners in elite homes. It is about something far more ordinary, far more widespread: the fan.
Yes, the same ceiling fan spinning above our heads is silently consuming more electricity than we imagine. Fans account for nearly 11,700 MW—almost 70 per cent of our summer cooling demand. They are not luxuries; they are lifelines in a hot climate. Yet, the old, inefficient fans still circulating in millions of households waste 70 to 90 watts each. That waste, multiplied across the country, is costing us entire power plants’ worth of energy.
Here lies the genius of the Fan Replacement Program, recently introduced by the National Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority (NEECA), under the Ministry of Energy, with support from the State Bank of Pakistan. The idea is simple: replace old energy-guzzling fans with modern, efficient ones. The impact? Potential savings of 4,000–5,000 MW—enough to wipe out load-shedding in many areas.
And the benefits don’t end at the grid. Each household that makes the switch could save over Rs. 12,000 a year on electricity bills. For low- and middle-income families, that is not pocket change. That is school fees, medicines, groceries—the difference between just getting by and breathing a little easier.
The best part? Unlike mega dams or imported LNG cargoes, this solution doesn’t take years to build or billions of dollars in foreign loans. It is ready, it is local, and it is sustainable. Efficiency is not glamorous, but it is the cheapest power plant we will ever build. In fact, every inefficient fan replaced is a tiny power station shut off forever.
Of course, technology alone will not solve the problem. We need awareness. People must know that this is not just a government programme but a national responsibility. Schools, universities, mosques, community leaders, and retailers all have to spread the word. Manufacturers must step up with quality products. Banks and microfinance programmes should make it easy for low-income families to afford the switch.
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This campaign, if executed with sincerity, could do more than save energy. It could change our culture of waste. It could show that conservation is not about sacrifice but about smart living. It could teach us that saving electricity is not just about switching off lights but about upgrading to efficient technology.
Pakistan has long chased the dream of more generation. But perhaps the true revolution is hidden in plain sight, humming quietly above our heads. If we replace millions of old fans with efficient ones, we will not just reduce bills—we will write a new chapter in our energy story.
Sometimes, the smallest blades create the biggest winds of change.
—Aasi, Islamabad
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