The government ministry expected to promote energy efficiency and other green alternatives to energy use is lagging behind several other ministries and departments.
With just 5% of light bulbs being energy-saving, the Resources and Infrastructure Ministry’s works division is one of the least energy conscious of government departments.
The Prime Minister’s office on the other hand has energy-saving bulbs across 63% of its fittings.
Resources minister Ninu Zammit told parliament, where statistics of energy-saving by government were presented, that whenever bulbs and spot lamps can be changed without changing their fittings, these are replaced by energy-saving bulbs.
But the Malta Resources Authority, also under Zammit’s responsibility, is setting the right example with all light fittings consisting of “fluorescent lightings”. MRA chief executive Antoine Riolo told MaltaToday all lightings in his authority abide by the MRA’s energy efficiency guidelines.
The highest coverage of energy-saving bulbs were found in the ministries led by the Cabinet’s two female members. Giovanna Debono’s Gozo ministry has a 100% energy-saving system in its information and data gathering sections, while 50% of the bulbs in the ministry’s other areas are energy-saving. Dolores Cristina’s family and social solidarity ministry has 85% of its bulbs energy-saving.
The Environment Ministry is also using energy-saving equipment in all new projects, with 40-50% of its lighting now replaced with energy-saving alternatives.
The other ministry directly concerned with energy use, Austin Gatt’s Investments Ministry, did not present any data, replying that since the ministry is equipped by neon tubes, “the percentage of energy-saving bulbs is low.”
Similarly the Ministry for Transport and Urban Development does not use energy-saving bulbs as it makes no use of neon daylight tubes.
The Health Ministry gave no precise statistics on the percentage of energy-saving equipment used at Mater Dei Hospital, but it said that most of the lighting was energy-saving or controlled by electric ballasts which limit energy use. In other areas like showers, corridors and toilets, light is switched on automatically by sensors only when someone is present.