KIGALI - THE national electricity distribution corporation, the Rwanda Electricity Corporation (RECO) will import 400,000 energy saving fluorescent bulbs by December this year. Speaking to The New Times yesterday, the corporation’s Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) project manager, Viateur Mugiraneza, said the initiative will reduce consumption of electricity.

He said the 400,000 bulbs worth US$ 0.6 m are expected in the country in January next year at the latest.

"The new system of using energy-saving bulbs rather than ordinary bulbs has made a big impact in as far as extending electricity countrywide is concerned because it has increased the number of clients and has significantly reduced the bills,” Mugiraneza said.

According to Mugiraneza, homes that were using 100-watt bulbs before the launch of the CFL project have reduced their energy bills by using the new energy-saving bulbs which consume 20 watts.

However, he said that the energy-saving bulbs are more expensive than ordinary bulbs. An energy-saving bulb costs between Rwf 3500 and Rwf 5,000, an amount he said is not affordable by most families, especially in the rural areas.

He revealed that negotiations to subsidise the bulbs are underway between the corporation and government.

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