'Use electricity wisely during Raya'

The Department of Electrical Services (DES) yesterday urged the public to consume electricity wisely during the upcoming Hari Raya festive season, as electricity consumption usually increases during this time which may cause power outage.

"Avoid using electricity excessively, illegal wiring and using non-standard electrical equipment such as electrical sockets, and make sure that safety features like the Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker (ELCB) are functioning," said DES Director Hj Jamain Hj Julaihi in a press conference yesterday in the capital.

He added: "We want to make sure of this and we want people to check their electricity equipment, which have not been used for many months," he added.

Hj Jamain explained that previously, some people put too many sockets together, causing an overload. "Sometimes people put too many sockets, so we discourage them to do that. Also, try to avoid placing hot bulbs close to curtains, as it may cause the curtains to catch fire easily."

"We have had cases in the past where people left their houses (unattended), and materials caught fire due to contact with hot surfaces, causing ignition," Hj Jamain said, adding it was a "fire hazard".

The DES director also emphasised the use of safe electrical wiring, where electrical wiring connected to decorative lighting should be done in a "correct and safe manner" to avoid overloading of sockets.

To encourage energy conservation, Hj Jamain encouraged the public not to leave decorative lights on until dawn.

"We encourage our customers to switch off their decorative lighting after midnight or when they are not at home," he said.

On that note, Hj Jamain spoke about energy conservation and encouraged the public to optimise in using "high efficient" appliances.

"Instead of using neon bulbs, they (the public) can use Light Emitting Diode (Led) decorative lighting, because Led can save up to 50 per cent of power consumption."

To safeguard the public from contacting unauthorised and unlicensed contractors in the event they need aid with fixing internal wiring, Hj Jamain said customers should only contact DES approved contractors.

"All the approved contractors have been certified by the department according to safety standards, as it is dangerous to (seek services) from the unauthorised contractors," he said, adding that the public can contact the DES hotline at 144 for information.

The Brunei Times