Bad guys in the movies?

Bad guys in the movies?

IN THE CRUSADE AGAINST SQUANDERERS THE ENERGY SUPERVISION GROUPS IN THE COUNTRY HAVE DONNED THE “SEVEN LEAGUE” BOOTS.

By Ortelio Gonzalez Martinez
June 23, 2009

A CubaNews translation.
Edited by Walter Lippmann.

CIEGO DE AVILA.- There are good, silent men who move quietly, without arrogance, and do not see themselves as important, but in fact they are important manuel, to the center, and francisco (left) advise an interested client on how to diminishing the electricity cost of their company. 

This is how those who are fighting the battle against excessive electricity expenditure behave as members of the Energy Supervision Groups in the country (ESG). They were created in Sancti Spíritus in February 2007 and later in the rest of the country. 

Those in my province don’t monopolize the press, yet many know them, and think about them, especially when they arrive at the companies and insist on saving measures, key positions, load redistribution, expenditure plan, energy balance…fight against fraud intensifies in the residential sector  

ANOTHER TURN OF THE KEY IN FAVOR OF THRIFTINESS

For electric engineer Manuel Sánchez Fernández, head specialist of the Group in the Basic Electric Organization (OBE) in Ciego de Avila, it is time to give another turn to the key in favor of thriftiness; because, there is a hidden source of energy that needs to be found and exploited for the good of all. “The thing is to avoid spending more energy than the one planned. Reserves appear and it is our duty to find them, by organizing work better, and changing for the better the disposition of those that squander it”, he declared.

He said that Load Distribution Manuals had appeared since the ’70s. . Companies were supposed to follow them to determine their saving policy. However, those books were kept in the drawers and very few mangers – and fewer workers – consulted them.  

Nowadays, when the world crisis threatens us, the country spent during the first four months of this year 40 000 tons more fuel for electric generation than planned. These groups are necessary – I would say crucial – to discover anomalies and provide counsel when needed. 

“In the beginning – Manuel asserts -, company managers resented us, especially the squanderers. This is changing, although we have to sensitize many managers. There are still places which don’t even have an expenditure plan. For this reason up to June 19, 42 companies had been denied electricity service. Most of them belong to MINAZ, MINAGRI and Trade and Gastronomy.” 

In our province the Group is formed by four experienced specialists and, contrary to what some people think, they aren’t snipers. Yet, they are uncompromising with those who disregard the saving policy indicated by our country’s maximum leaders. There is no alternative. 

Real life shows us that there are leaks of electrical energy, caused by lack of control, and irresponsibility.  

What should we call those that do not study the company load, do not read the counters and care more about the expenditure of fuel than that of electricity?

 Inspections made (more than 100 in the province) discovered anomalies everywhere. It is no laughing matter, for example, that in certain workplaces they ignore the existence of an expenditure plan, or that in a store of the Interior Trade Ministry the inspection detected a large expenditure of electricity even when the freezer was not in working order. Further investigation revealed that several nearby homes were connected to the store and the residents did not pay for electricity. 

In the opinion of Thermo-energy Engineer Francisco Ramírez Díaz, also member of the ESG, saving is not possible without management supervision. Thus, he brings another problem out on the open; the ineffectual analyses made countless times by Management Councils, Party committees, Young Communist organization committees, and union representatives at workplaces.

During the enquiries, Granma found out that the way the issue is discussed is boring, repetitive and, therefore in spite of good intentions, the reason for excessive electricity expenditures is not found.

 The issue of energy consumers is in the agenda of every workplace visited. We concede that. However, comments on the subject are restricted to: “How much electricity did we use? We cannot overdraw the expenditure plan. It is necessary to work in that direction… “, Discussions should dig deeper than that during collective debates.  

CUT OFF THE POWER…

It is not a matter of “cutting off the power and turning on the gas lamp” as the popular saying goes. Engineer María Antonia Valdés Alfonso, head of the Rational Use of the Energy Managerial Base Unit of the OBE in Ciego de Avila province, affirms that the maximum leaders of the country have stated this as the last option.

Without forgetting the residential sector, for the time being emphasis is put now on the state sector, the biggest consumer in the county. When companies and state units overdraw their plans service is withdrawn. “Service is withdrawn for 72 hours to those [companies] who consume electricity over the amount planned. If they recur, more severe measures are applied to managers. They put the squeeze and it has given results.”

Engineer Aidel Suárez López, who also walks with the control calendar always ready, is categorical: “Most managers think that their companies have done everything possible merely because they have turned off lights and motors; that this solves the saving problem. They push to the background very important words like energy balance, load redistribution, deviation from the real consumption, energy efficiency…, but we won that battle. The final objective is to put the cork back in the bottle.” 

At least in Ciego de Ávila, the “cork” is beginning to stop squandering. Since June 1st when saving measures began, to the 19th, the province fulfilled the 15 day plan. This result is due in part to the “bad guys in the movies”. Nobody doubts that.

But their performance should not be restricted to moments of crisis. It should be systematic and they should work every day against squanderers and the inefficient use of energy carriers.