Banning Used Fridges: Can Ghana Save Energy

It is amazing how Ghanaians and people in the developing world use items their counterparts in the advanced world discard.

On daily basis, many used items ranging from cloths to furniture flood the Ghanaian market where naive buyers readily topple over each other just to grab an item and part with their hard-earned monies.

Not so long ago, the importation of second-hand panties and other underwear was banned.

Recently the mass importation of used electronic gadgets such as fridges, air-conditions, television sets, radio sets, water heaters, microwave, electric cookers, pressing irons, commuters, washing machines, rice cookers and blenders has attracted the attention of authorities in the energy sector.

Worried about the current trend, the Energy Commission, regulator of the Energy sector, initiated plans to ban the importation of some of these used electronic appliances which are said to consume more electricity than new ones.

The commission explained that though the process to ban the importation of used electronic gadget would be gradual with effect from January, 2013, used refrigerators and air- conditioners would be banned completely from entering the market.

Next in line would be used television (TV) sets and electric irons which would be completely banned in the country.

David Yaw Donkoh, in an interview, said he has been importing second-hand electronic gadgets for the past 10 years and now owns four shops through out the country.

“It is a good business. Not anyone can afford a new gadget which is usually expensive and not durable. Most Ghanaians want quality appliances which they would not spend so much on,” said Mr. Donkoh from one of his shops along the Lapze-Kwashieman road in Accra.

Since news about the proposed ban on importation of fridges and air-conditions broke out, Mr. Donkoh says he has been having sleepless nights.

“I have been thinking about what would happen to my business.”

Bowing his head down as he sits in a sophisticated chair in his shop, he noted “If I do not take care I will go out of business. I must think of selling new items. It will not be easy but everybody will be forced to buy new gadgets since there would be no used ones on the market.”

Dr. Alfred Ofosu Ahenkorah, Executive Secretary of Energy Commission, explained that some used TV sets with standby mode consume about 10 watts of electricity which is a drain on the country’s energy.

“We, at Energy Commission, together with other stakeholders in the energy sector want Ghana to be free from electronic waste,” he said.

The measures, he explained, would help the nation save energy, noting that “Ghana will not be a dumping ground for second-hand electronic products.”

One of the core functions of the Energy Commission, as stated in Act 541, is to promote energy efficiency.

In line with its mandate, the commission has instituted the energy efficiency and conservation month to be celebrated every year in September.

This year, to address economic and climate change challenge, the commission aims to create the necessary awareness as well as sensitize the public on how to efficiently use energy.

The commission has also called on Parliament to give it more authority to sanction people who import cheap electronic products into the country.

In line with this, the commission has kicked start the implementation of standards and labeling of refrigerating appliances and air-conditioners which when properly enforced would save the country over $100 million and about $52million respectively every year.

The labeled products are expected to promote standards, as it would prescribe minimum energy performance of products.

A special taskforce, constituted by the Energy Commission, will from next month embark on an exercise to confiscate used refrigerators from the market.

Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, said the measure is part of government’s efforts to address global warming and climate change in the country.

She mentioned that the two-year moratorium placed on the Energy Commission’s regulations, 2008 (LI 1932) which prohibited the importation of used refrigeration equipment effective January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2012 was in view of petitions and concerns raised by dealers in the trade.

During this period, she said plans were put in place to register and license all traders and importers of used refrigeration equipment after which import quotas would be issued to some selected importers to bring them into the country in controlled quantities until December 31, 2012 when they would be completely banned.

Nonetheless, “We would ensure that the market is not flooded by new inefficient refrigerators after the ban on the importation of the used ones.”

Kofi Agyarko, Principal Programme Officer of Energy Commission, said a research has revealed that obsolete or used gadgets consume more energy.

Most of these used electronic gadgets have been identified as the main cause of fire outbreaks in homes and industries as a result of the high amount of energy they consume and frequent power outages experienced in the country in recent times.

Hannah Immere, a single mother of two, told this paper that she bought her fridge from a second-hand dealer.

“It was very cheap. I have been using it for the past six years and it has never broken done,” said Ms Immere.

She said she has seen dealers off loading used electronic appliances from trucks.

“Some of them are very old. But the sellers refurbished the old and worn out fridges by spraying them and replacing some of the parts to make it look as if they have been slightly used even though they may have outlived the manufactures date,” she observed.

However, Mr. Ayarko advised the public not to consider the beauty of an electric gadget but its energy efficiency ratings. The rating helps buyers to know the amount of current a gadget consumes.

Victor Owusu, Public Affairs Officer, said a resource centre would be established to test the capacity of all new electric gadgets imported into the country to make sure that they have note been used.

There would be swoops to rid the market of such goods.