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U Hla Win, co-owner of Nursery Land ironworks,
enjoys wielding with the aid of electric lighting thanks
to near-constant power supplies since June to his workshop
in Tarmwe township.
Pic: Lwin Maung Maung |
RETAILERS and residents in Yangon have welcomed the regular power
supplies that have been available throughout the city since June,
saying that the lack of blackouts has helped them save money and
conduct business more efficiently.
“Since mid-June we’ve saved a lot of money because
we haven’t had to run a generator,” said the owner
of a computer training centre. “Before then, we only had
electricity for 12 hours a day and we had to use about four gallons
of diesel at K3500 a gallon to keep the generator running.”
“We could only cover the cost of running the generator
if the centre was full of customers,” he said.
Daw Mya Mya Win, owner of Mani San Dar Dressmaking School, said
the regular electricity supply has allowed her students to work
more efficiently.
“When there’s no electricity we have to use inefficient
charcoal-heated irons rather than electric ones, and there is
not enough light to see by so it takes longer to finish the work,”
she said.
Ma Khin Thida Win, who lives in Tarmwe township, said that although
the power supply had been constant since June, the voltage level
only allowed limited use of electrical appliances.
“We can only use electricity for lighting and the refrigerator.
There’s not enough power to use an iron or the element for
cooking,” she said.
Her ironworks business, Nursery Land, also in Tarmwe township,
still used a generator for about eight hours a day because of
the low-voltage mains supply, she said.
“We need at least 220 watts at work but the power supply
is only 140 watts,” Nursery Land co-owner U Hla Win said.
A higher voltage power supply could cut their energy costs by
three-quarters, he added.
Shops selling electrical appliances reported slightly higher
than usual sales.
Crystal Lite Electrical Store sales executive U Than Htun said
sales at the Bahan shop had increased by about five percent since
June.
He predicted that if 24-hour electricity were to last many more
people would invest in electrical goods.
