The ministers called for an increase in Demand Side Management (DSM) programmes to allow the region to address its energy challenges in the short term, while mobilizing resources to develop new power generation projects that will add more electricity to the regional grid.

 The DSM programme includes the phasing out of incandescent light bulbs, and replacing them with Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) and Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), as well as the installation of solar water heaters.

Research shows that residential lighting accounts for about 20 percent of the average domestic electricity bill in the SADC region.

Switching from traditional light bulbs to compact fluorescent lamps has been effective in most SADC countries as they have significantly reduced energy use.

CFLs have been shown to save up to 80 percent of the electricity consumption, compared to incandescent bulbs. Between 2010 and 2014, about 4,561MW savings were achieved from DSM initiatives in the region, according to SADC.

It is envisaged that the SADC region will save more than 6,000MW by 2018 if such initiatives are implemented according to plan. As such SADC has agreed to phase out incandescent bulbs and other inefficient lighting devices and replace them with quality, approved energy-saving bulbs by 31 December 2016.