Abu Dhabi residents encouraged to use energy-efficient appliances

The Green Corner initiative, which displays efficient electronics to shoppers, aims to reduce Abu Dhabi’s water and electricity consumption by 20 per cent

The Green Corner in Lulu at Khalidiya Mall offers green technology that saves on bills Antonie Robertson / The National

Abu Dhabi residents are being encouraged to buy energy-efficient electronics in an effort to reduce consumption across the emirate.

A dedicated “Green Corner”, where the home appliances are displayed, opened at Lulu Hypermarket, one of the UAE's largest supermarkets, in Khalidiyah Mall on Thursday.

Everything from washing machines and dishwashers that use less water to air conditioning units and refrigerators that require less energy will be displayed to encourage shoppers to make more sustainable choices.

“The selected appliances have high efficiency and therefore consume less water and energy,” said Dr Mohamed Al Hosani, an official at the Abu Dhabi Distribution Company — who worked with the hypermarket to produce Green Corner.

“Using such appliances could cut consumption by up to 40 per cent.”

The appliances were selected based on a rating system set by the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology. Products with a rating of four or five stars qualify for the Green Corner.

For example, a 5-star washing machine, which can be found in the Green Corner, consumes 151Kwh and 12,964 litres of water per year, while a 3-star machine, which would not quality, consumes 229Kwh and 13,676 litres per year.

The initiative is part of Abu Dhabi’s Tarsheed programme that aims to cut the emirate’s water and electricity consumption by 20 per cent by 2030.

“Our relationship with Lulu provides the opportunity to empower customers in their purchasing decisions, enabling them to use water and electricity more efficiently,” said Saeed Al Suwaidi, managing director of ADDC.

“We will continue to develop sustainable initiatives to manage these vital resources for future generations.”

The initiative will be introduced in all Lulu Hypermarkets in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.

"We were approached by ADDC to start this project because they were very keen that consumption on electricity and water is brought down because they are paying huge amounts on subsidies," said Yusuf Ghadiyali, quality manager at Lulu.

“Our main objective is to bring more environmental friendly products to UAE consumers, especially if it is supported by the government, because that is where we will see greater success.”

John Francis, a merchandiser at Lulu, said shoppers had already begun asking what the benefits of efficient appliances are.

“They were interested in learning how much the appliances would save on bills,” he said,

Mr Francis said a 5-star washing machine could save up to Dh250 a year, compared to a 3-star appliance.

Reducing energy consumption is a challenge faced by the entire country.

The UAE's overall energy use has grown by 4 per cent every year and is expected to grow by 5 per cent this year, The National previously reported.

Electricity consumption has more than doubled over the past decade, faster than the population has grown.

The country's gross domestic electricity consumption is expected to reach 141 terawatt-hours in 2020, up from 103 terawatt-hours in 2014, news media reported.

As for water consumption, the average UAE resident uses about 740 cubic metres of water a year, while the world average is 500 cubic metres per person a year.