Enhancing energy-saving behaviors of domestic electricity consumers in Zambia: A demand side management model

Stan, Muwowo (2025) Enhancing energy-saving behaviors of domestic electricity consumers in Zambia: A demand side management model. World Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology and Sciences, 15 (3). pp. 1827-1858. ISSN 2582-8266

Climate change has affected the availability of water, reducing the levels of water for electricity generation, this has resulted into massive load shedding, considering that the region and Zambia in particular, is highly dependent on hydropower. Literature suggests that that energy-serving behaviour has a huge potential to reduce energy demand drastically. Nevertheless, the switch and save campaign by Zesco, has not yielded much success, as load shedding is still being experienced despite the campaign. It is for this reason that this research was conducted to develop a demand side management model that will enhance the energy-saving behaviours of domestic electricity consumers. This model is interactive and operates on the principle of information, encouraging the consumer to reduce the excess loads and instead use alternative sources particularly for heating and lighting. Where there is no compliance, the option by the system is to load-shed that particular consumer not complying with the requirements. It is believed the implementation of this system would persuade the domestic electricity consumers to use electricity prudently and reduce the chances of complete electricity black-out. The discussion has also included global diverse energy forms which exist, and are used at various scales: global, regional, national, community and household level. Among these scales, the household level is considered as the terminal link for energy consumption and sustained environmental protection. It is worth noting that these concerns gave rise to an investigation on mechanisms on how to enhance energy saving behaviours of domestic electricity consumers in Zambia: a demand side management model. Although demand-side management (DSM) needs to be more customer centered, either with or without smart technologies for smart grid, less attention has been paid to the developing world in relation to DSM strategy development. The main reasons have been lacking appropriate technology and capital costs. Importantly, there are alternative DSM strategies that require minimum or no cost to implement and provide immediate results, of which energy-saving behaviour for the occupant at residences is one. The Model for Enhancing Energy Saving Behaviour (MEESB) is therefore a demand response technology and strategy, which applies the Time-based, Incentive-based and energy saving-behaviour programs to achieve energy conservation. The study utilized a mixed research method employing both qualitative and quantitative in the research design. The findings of the study were that electrical practitioners agree with the idea of utilising a suitable demand side model that has features for warning the individual domestic householders of their drawing of electricity current beyond the limit set by the supply authority. They are also in agreement that load shedding should only be implemented to electricity consumers who do not comply with the appeal to “switch and save power”. Finally, the electrical practitioners agree with the idea of a provision within the model for enhancing energy saving behaviours, for resetting back to supply, upon isolating the loads consuming excess power, if the household was load shaded for exceeding the set limit of electricity consumption. The study established that domestic electricity consumers have sufficient knowledge of electricity saving technology and its benefits in matters of steady supply of electricity.