• Public voices highlight challenges and compromises 

In an initiative to encourage the general public to use energy sparingly, amidst the uncertainty arising from the Iran war and tensions in the Middle East, the Government launched the ‘Surakimu Lanka’ national programme on Sunday (29 March).

As its primary objective focuses on fostering a community that carefully conserves energy resources, the programme encourages limiting electricity usage during peak hours (6 p.m. to 10 p.m.) or carrying out electricity-intensive activities during the day as much as possible.

The potential disruptions to the country’s energy and fuel supply due to the prevailing war situation in the Middle East, along with forecasts of possible El Niño weather conditions, which is a climate pattern that describes the unusual warming of surface waters in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean, also contribute to the enforcement of this programme.

Against such a backdrop, The Sunday Morning spoke to those primarily impacted by the programme, allowing the voices of the people to express their struggles and thoughts in the face of the present situation.

Difficulties in reducing usage

Yasindu Rathnayake, assistant manager at a timber store, said that while energy conservation was important, the nature of the business made it difficult to reduce electricity usage. According to him, timber processing relies heavily on high-powered machinery, resulting in substantial electricity costs exceeding Rs. 200,000 monthly.

“We cannot operate all our machines together because of supply limits. Therefore, we have to operate some of them at night, which falls within the peak hours,” he said.

He also emphasised that it was unfeasible to cut back on essential operational requirements such as lighting the timber yard.

“Even though there is not much work at night, we still need lighting because our yard is huge. We cannot reduce essential usage like that,” he noted.

Rathnayake acknowledged the Government’s efforts to promote conservation, but suggested that businesses and industries should receive more practical and beneficial assistance. He proposed interest-free loans to support solar energy investments by businesses.

“We could pay for the solar panels every month like we pay the electricity bill, with the Government’s support. Also, if the Government invested more in solar panels, this electricity problem would be solved to a larger extent,” Rathanayake remarked.

He added that if the Government were to reduce taxes on solar panels, renewable energy would be more accessible.

“Sri Lanka is a country that gets plenty of sunlight. These electricity shortages or crisis periods are also common during the sunny season due to the lack of rainfall. If solar solutions are available and affordable, this issue will be short-term and solved to a greater extent,” he said.

Student concerns 

Nethmi Prabodhima, 29, a law student preparing for the Attorneys-at-Law Examinations, said that while energy conservation was essential, it was challenging for students to limit or reduce their electricity consumption due to academic obligations. She noted that examinations would proceed regardless of ongoing energy concerns, making it critical for students to continue their studies without interruption.

“At the moment, I am honestly grateful that there are no power cuts, because we can at least continue studying,” she said.

Prabodhima noted that the intense heat had disrupted her study schedule.

“It is very hard to study during the daytime, even with fans on. So I usually start studying at around 6 p.m. and continue until early morning,” she said, noting the extended usage of lights and fans during peak hours.

“Our lectures are conducted online and I also watch the recordings, which involves continuous use of laptops and other electronic devices. Even laptops and printers tend to overheat these days. As a result, sometimes I have to use an extra fan for those too,” she said.

While recognising the Government’s stance, she said: “I cannot take chances with my studies. So it is really difficult for me to make a productive contribution from my end while continuing my studies.”

Despite these challenges, she acknowledged that she made small efforts such as using a smaller fan that consumed less electricity and minimising the use of the printer to once a day in order to conserve electricity and cope with increasing electricity tariffs.

Prabodhima also pointed out that rising temperatures had increased overall electricity consumption. 

“Earlier, I did not use the fan while sleeping, but now I have to keep it on throughout the night because of the heat,” she stated.

Biz perspective 

Khizer Ahamed, 26, the co-founder of a sports nutrition hub, said that the ‘Surakimu Lanka’ programme created awareness and encouraged businesses to think differently about energy utilisation amid the country’s current situation.

“As a business, we understand the importance of taking responsibility now in order to prevent the situation from worsening in the future. We are happy to contribute towards a more sustainable and energy-conscious future,” Ahamed said, highlighting the importance of how the initiative played a role in shaping a better mindset.

However, he noted that while the programme encouraged businesses to take responsibility for preserving energy, it had not had an immediate effect on his business.

“Since our store operates only until 7 p.m., the impact has been minimal. But we are trying to make small adjustments such as reducing the use of lights and air conditioning during the final hour of operations to be more energy-efficient,” Ahamed said, adding that businesses which operated during peak hours would require more structured adjustments.

Kavindu Achintha, 29, the co-founder of a start-up, said: “We close by 5 p.m., so the peak hours do not really affect us. However, our electricity usage is considerable, especially for equipment like compressors, which require high voltage and are essential for our operations.”

Achintha also noted that reducing the usage of such equipment was not practical as it directly affected productivity. He added that he had made certain internal adjustments to reduce unnecessary electricity usage.

“I recently hired a trainee, but training him to operate the compressor would lead to additional electricity consumption. Given the current circumstances, I decided to postpone that training for now and assign those responsibilities to my experienced worker,” he said.

With the trainee assigned to lower energy-consuming activities, he noted that he was trying to manage operations in ways that would avoid unnecessary electricity usage until the situation stabilised.

A necessary sacrifice 

Sarath Chandrasiri, 56, a homeowner, voiced concerns over increasing electricity bills and the broader energy situation.

He noted that global tensions such as the Middle Eastern conflict had disrupted oil supply, while the lack of rainfall and dry weather conditions had reduced water reserves, limiting reliance on hydropower.

“It might be difficult to provide a continuous power supply because of the war. Moreover, there is also no rain. We cannot depend on water for electricity. At the same time, generating power using fuel is difficult as it is very expensive,” he said, adding that electricity tariffs had also risen and were likely to increase further.

Chandrasiri further acknowledged that the Government’s request to reduce electricity consumption during peak hours was necessary.

“Honestly, that period is when electricity is consumed the most. Therefore, we should try to switch off unnecessary appliances like additional light bulbs, fans, air conditioning, water pumps, and refrigerators, while keeping only the essential ones on,” he said.

“By making these small changes, we should support our Government to get through the next few years,” he added.

Significant operational challenges 

G.A. Harshana, a gym owner, noted that gyms were most crowded between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. – the exact period when electricity usage is expected to be reduced, making it unfeasible to switch off essential equipment.

“At home, people can reduce certain activities like ironing clothes. But in a gym, we cannot turn off machines, lights, or fans. If we did, we would basically have to close the gym,” Harshana said.

He explained that ventilation and cooling were critical for health, especially under prevailing heat conditions.

“If someone trains in this kind of heat, there could be serious health risks like heatstroke,” he said.

While acknowledging that some contributions could be made, including reducing treadmill usage, he noted that customer expectations made this difficult.

“Our members have already paid for these facilities. Therefore, the service must be provided whenever they ask for it,” he said.

Harshana added that while the programme was a positive initiative, implementing it in businesses such as gyms posed significant challenges due to operational demands and customer expectations.

A 36-year-old private school teacher, who requested anonymity, said that teaching had become increasingly difficult due to the heat in classrooms where fans were the primary source of cooling.

“It is already hot in classes with the fans on and windows open. Right now, students are having sports meet practices as well, and I worry that if there are power cuts in order to conserve electricity at such a time, the heat will not be good for them,” she said.

Speaking on the programme, she acknowledged that limiting electricity use at night might be easier, but pointed out that for students returning home late due to extracurricular activities, most of their studies took place during those hours.

“Even I do some work during the night, like grading papers and marking books. Limiting electricity use is possible, but it might be difficult,” she said.