The Abu Dhabi Department of Energy reported that since the launch of the 'Abu Dhabi Energy and Water Efficiency Strategy 2030' until now (about 7 years), a saving of 9.3 terawatt-hours of electricity has been achieved out of a target of 19 terawatt-hours, which is about 50%. For water, the volume saved reached 330 million cubic meters out of a target of 465 million cubic meters, over 60%. The Department noted in statements to 'Al-Ittihad' on the sidelines of the recently concluded 'Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week' that it recorded a saving in electricity use sufficient to power 8 homes for a year. This was achieved after the Department, through an educational program on the importance of conserving water and electricity, succeeded in convincing a number of school students to raise their air conditioning temperature by just one degree while sleeping.
Mohammed Al-Hadrami, Acting Director of the Energy Efficiency Department at the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, told 'Al-Ittihad' on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week held last week in Abu Dhabi that 'many awareness programs launched during the past year 2025, we are currently showcasing their results, including changing the consumption behavior of school students after we conducted more than 380 educational sessions that reached over 11,000 students, which enhances the principles of conservation by changing just one habit: raising the air conditioning temperature by one degree only while sleeping, which led to a reduction in consumption equivalent to the electricity consumption of 8 homes for a year.'
He added: 'We are working at the Department to promote a culture of energy efficiency, considering the direct benefit that returns to the consumer and reduces the financial cost of their monthly bill, and the results of the awareness programs are measured tangibly to bring the idea and its importance closer to consumers.' Al-Hadrami explained that the 'Abu Dhabi Energy and Water Efficiency Strategy 2030' aims to achieve significant economic and environmental benefits by reducing electricity consumption by 22% and water by 32% by 2030, and currently, nearly 50% of the 2030 targets for electricity and about 60% of the target for water have been achieved.
He noted that the response of consumers to awareness programs shows their desire to reduce consumption rates, and the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy has provided tools, ideas, and programs to help them do so according to the best international practices. He added, 'Since the launch of the strategy in 2019 until now (about 7 years), we have reached an electricity saving of 9.3 terawatt-hours out of a target of 19 terawatt-hours, which is about 50%, and for water, we have reached 330 million cubic meters out of a target of 465 million cubic meters, over 60%.'
Al-Hadrami added that there are simple practices consumers can do that make a big difference in their bill, such as raising the air conditioning temperature by one degree during sleep, which saves enough electricity for 8 homes for a year. Other examples include moving refrigerators 10 cm away from the wall to improve ventilation and thus reduce electricity consumption by 8-10%, and not raising the temperature of water heaters beyond 50 or 60 degrees Celsius. Other simple behaviors that do not require great effort can lead to a 10-20% reduction in consumption bills.
He continued that if conservation relies on fundamental changes in appliances, lighting, or other areas, savings can reach 30-40%, stressing the importance of focusing on air conditioners, as they consume about 60% of the total electricity consumption. For example, cleaning the filters every two months helps improve air quality and at the same time reduce consumption.
