Introduction: We should save electricity to ensure that it is used properly in the service

of humanity. The wastage of power should be stopped. If we become careless about

that there will be regular and prolonged load-shedding. If we keep the lights on during
daytime, we will be constrained to be in darkness at night.

Why we should save electricity: We need electricity at every moment and in every
walk of life. Electricity is considered the soul or the life without which the entire world
remains dead and dormant.

Our health, education, agriculture, engineering and other technical activities all are now
conditioned by electricity.

The surgeon in the operation theatre, the engineer in the factory, the motor-mechanic in
the garage, the officer in the office, the passengers at the railway platform, all are
enjoying the service rendered by electricity.

Many means of modern transportation depends upon electricity. Trams and electric
trains in big cities serve thousands of people every-day. This service has given a great
boost to modern civilized life.
National Level Facts about Energy & Power
Wastage
1. India has an installed capacity of more than 170,000 megawatts, up from a mere 1,362
megawatts at the time of Independence in 1947
2. The majority (around 60%) is generated from coal and lignite, while just under a quarter
(about 22%) is hydro-electric
3. Despite its soaring energy needs, India has one of the lowest per capita rates of
consumption of power in the world - 734 units as compared to a world average of 2,429
units. This is nothing compared with say, Canada, (18,347 units) and the US (13,647
units). China's per capita consumption (2,456 units) is more than three times that of India.

4. The low per capita consumption is despite the fact that the power sector has been
growing at more than 7% every year.
5. Homes and farms are consuming more power today than industries and businesses.
Industrial consumption has actually dropped from 61.6% in 1970-71 to 38% in 2008-
2009.
6. India has suffered consistent power shortages since Independence in 1947. Peak demand
shortage is more than 10%, whereas the overall energy shortage is more than 7%.
7. Sixty-five years after Independence, only nine states - Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat,
Karnataka, Goa, Delhi, Haryana, Kerala, Punjab and Tamil Nadu - of 28 have been
officially declared totally electrified.
8. India remains perennially energy starved despite 15% or more of federal funds being
allocated to the power sector. Bankrupt state-run electricity boards, an acute shortage of
 coal, skewed subsidises which end up benefiting rich farmers, power theft, and under-
performing private distribution agencies are to blame, say experts. There is no shortage of
money, and the problem, as the Planning Commission admits, is more "in the delivery
process [than] in the system".
9. Transmission and distribution losses have leapt from 22% in 1995-96 to about 25.6% in
2009-2010. The states with the worst losses are Indian-administered Kashmir, Bihar,
Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh. The best performers: Punjab, Himachal
Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
10. India's first power generation company was the private Calcutta Electric Supply
Corporation (CESC) started in 1899. The first diesel power plant was set up in Delhi in
1905. The first hydro-electric power station was set up in Mysore in 1902. At the time of
Independence, about 60% of India's power sector was privately owned. Today, about
80% of the installed capacity is in the hands of the government. Private companies own
12% of the capacity.
 International Level Facts about Energy &
Power Wastage
1. Only 10% of energy in a light bulb is used to create light. Ninety percent of a light bulbs
energy creates heat. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), on the other hand, use about
80% less electricity than conventional bulbs and last up to 12 times as long.
2. Refrigerators in the U.S. consume about the same energy as 25 large power plants
produce each year.
3. The amount of energy Americans use doubles every 20 years.
4. About 5,000 years ago, the energy people consumed for their survival averaged about
12,000 kilocalories per person each day. In AD 1400, each person was consuming about
twice as much energy (26,000 kilocalories). After the Industrial Revolution, the demand
almost tripled to an average of 77,000 kilocalories per person in 1875. By 1975, it had
tripled again to 230,000 kilocalories per person.
5. The worlds biggest blackout occurred on August 14, 2004, when a massive power
outage occurred across the northeastern U.S. and throughout Ontario, Canada, affecting
50 million people.
6. From 2008 to 2030, world energy consumption is expected to increase more than 55%.
7. Google accounts for roughly 0.013% of the worlds energy use. It uses enough energy to
continuously power 200,000 homes.
8. According to Google, the energy it takes to conduct 100 searches on its site is equivalent
to a 60-watt light bulb burning for 28 minutes. Google uses about 0.0003 kWh of energy
to answer the avenge search query, which translates into about 0.2 g of carbon dioxide
released.[1]
9. The United States produces half of its electricity from coal. China uses coal to generate
more than three-fourths of its electricity. Australia, Poland, and South Africa produce an
even greater percentage. Overall, coal makes up 2/5 of the worlds electricity
generation.[5]

10. Ten countries produce 2/3 of the worlds oil and hold the same percentage of known
reserves. Saudi Arabia tops both lists.[5]
11. Ten countries produce 2/3 of the world's natural gas and hold about the same percentage
of known reserves.[5]
12. The United States produces more nuclear-generated electricity than any other country,
nearly 1/3 of the worlds total. The second largest producer is France, which generates
more than 3/4 of its electricity in nuclear reactors.[4]
13. Electric utilities are the largest source of greenhouse gas in America.
14. In 2007, wind produced 1.3% of the electricity in the world. The worlds largest wind
farm is the Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center near Abilene, Texas. Covering 92 square
miles, the center has more than 400 turbines that are 262 feet tall. They produce 735
megawatts of electricity.[6]
15. Approximately 30% of energy used in buildings is used inefficiently or unnecessarily.[8]
16. Over 86% of the energy used in the U.S. each year is from the combustion of fossil
fuels.[8]
17. Some researchers suggest that if developers had to prepay 50 years worth of utility bills,
they would construct buildings differently.[8]
18. Cooling and heating costs make up approximately 1/2 of an average U.S. homes total
energy bill.[8]
19. On average, one pool pump consumes electricity equal to 44% of the annual electricity
consumption of a typical California household. There are over 7 million pools in
America.[8]
20. In the last 50 years, atmospheric CO2 has shot up to levels unprecedented in the previous
400,000 years. The man-made injection of CO2 into the atmosphere is primarily from the
burning of fossil fuels.[8]
21. The most powerful hydroelectric project in the world is Chinas Three Gorges Dam. The
controversial and enormous power plant brings power to millions of Chinese villagers
and will generate more than 22,000 megawatts from six generators.[6]
22. American hospitals are some of the most energy-intense buildings on the planet.[8]
23. In 2008, the Wall Street Journal reported that transportation fuel consumption in the U.S.
would grow from 150 billion gallons annually in 2020 to over 250 billion gallons by the
middle of this century. Researchers hypothesize that we would have to export trillions of
dollars to oil producing countries, which would compromise our currency, our economy,
and our environment.[8]
24. Lighting currently accounts for about 20% of U.S. electricity consumption.[8]
25. James Hansen, director of NASAs Goddard Institute for Space Studies, has argued,
Coal is the single greatest threat to civilization and all life on our planet. In America,
burning coal releases more CO2 in the air than all cars and trucks combined.[8]
26. In the average home, 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed
while the products are turned off. The average desktop computer idles at 80 watts, while
the average laptop idles at 20 watts. A Sony PlayStation 3 uses about 200 watts and
nearly as much when idle. Idle power consumes more electricity than all the solar panels
in America combined.[8]
27. On a hot summer afternoon, California consumes the entire output of two large nuclear
reactors pumping water.[8]

28. One ceiling fixture can use $2,000 to $5,000 of electricity over its useful life.[8]
29. The most energy-intensive part of the food chain is the kitchen. Much more energy is
used to refrigerate and prepare food in the home than is used to produce it in the first
place.[8]
30. China has taken over the U.S. as both the worlds largest CO2 emitter and the worlds
largest energy consumer.[5]
31. Thomas Edison built the first power plant, and in 1882 his Pearl Street Power Station sent
electricity to 85 buildings. People were initially afraid of electricity and parents would
not let their children near the lights.[3]
32. English polymath Thomas Young (1773-1829) was the first to use the word energy in
its current sense, replacing the traditional term vis viva, meaning living force.[3]
33. In the United States, petroleum provides the most energy, more than coal, natural gas,
or solar energy.[5]
34. Hydropower is the main renewable energy source the U.S. relies onmore than wind,
solar, or geothermal power.[7]
35. Coal generates more electricity than any other source. It produces twice as much
electricity as natural gas.[5]
36. America burns nearly half of the worlds gasoline.[5]
37. More than 1/5 of the worlds primary energy is used for transport, followed by industry,
construction, and agricultures. Much is in the form of gasoline, of which nearly 792.5
million gallons is burned every day.[5]
38. Civilizations first significant energy invention was fire. It was only about 5,000 years
ago that humans began using other energy sources such as wind. In America, the first
natural gas light was created in 1821. The first oil well was dug in 1859. The first
gasoline car was built in 1892.[
39. The top seven oil consumers combined use more than half of the worlds total. The
United States alone uses more than a quarter.[5]
40. A watt is a unit of power that measures the rate of producing or using energy. The term
was named after Scottish engineer James Watt (1736-1819), who developed an improved
steam engine. Watt measured his engines performance in horsepower. One horsepower
equaled 746 watts.[5]
41. Just 1/3 of the energy in burning coal reaches the consumer as electricity.[5]
42. Researches note that energy is the key to the advancement of civilization and that
energy is the catalyst that allows human societies to evolve.[6]
43. The word energy comes from the Greek energeia, meaning operation, activity.[6]
44. Energy cannot be destroyed or createdonly transformed.[3]
45. Albert Einstein defined energy as mass multiplied by the speed of light squared, or
e=mc2.[3]
46. Food contains energy, which is measured in calories or joules.[3]
47. The worlds oil reserves will last until 2052 and gas reserves will last until 2065.
48. Enough sunlight reaches the earths surface each minute to satisfy the worlds energy
demandsfor an entire year.[6]
49. The World Coal Institute says that, at current production levels, proven coal reserves are
estimated to last 147 years. That means no more coal after 2155.[5]
 50. More than 1/3 of the worlds crude oil is refined into gasoline. Other main products are
distillate fuel oil (mainly diesel oil) and jet fuel (mainly kerosene).[5]
51. Inefficient appliances, drafty windows and doors, poor insulation, and other fixable
energy wasters cost U.S. consumers an estimated $300 billion a yearmore than the U.S.
military budget.[5]
52. If a person yelled for 8 years, 7 months, and 6 days, he or she would produce enough
energy to heat one cup of coffee.[5]
53. A hurricane releases 50 trillion to 200 trillion watts of heat energy. This is as much
energy as a 10-megaton nuclear bomb exploding every 20 minutes.

Rules for Saving Energy

To get started saving energy around your home, just follow these easy rules:
1. Shut off the lights when you're done using them, and turn off the TV, computer,
video games and other electrical stuff when you leave the room.

Adjust the thermostat during the winter. Ask a grown-up to adjust the thermostat by 10
degrees cooler in the winter and 10 degrees warmer in the summer for eight hours a day.

3. Dont leave the refrigerator door open. Every time you open the door, up to one-third
of the cold air can escape.

4. Replace a burnt-out light bulb with a new compact fluorescent bulb.

Fluorescent bulbs use 75 percent less energy, and they last 10 times longer.

Remind grown-ups to use cold water in the washing machine. Hot water won't
get the clothes any cleaner, and it wastes a lot of energy.
6. Fix dripping faucets. One drop per second can add up to 165 gallons of hot water a month -
that's more than one person uses in two weeks!

7. Take a short shower instead of a long bath. It might take 25 gallons of hot water to
fill the bathtub, compared to only seven gallons for a quick shower.

Close the curtains during hot summer days to block the sun. During the winter,
keep the curtains open.

9. Help a grown-up put plastic sheeting on windows. Blocking cold drafts is called
"weatherizing" and it can save a lot of energy.

10. Help your mom or dad plant a tree to help shade your house on hot
summer days.