The United Nations Environment Programme has said Nigeria will save about $1.3 billion yearly if it stops using air conditioners and refrigerators with energy efficiency ratios below globally acceptable Minimum Energy Performance Standards.

It disclosed this in its latest report titled, “Project Overview of Scaling-Up Energy-Efficient and Climate-Friendly Cooling in Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contribution Revision.”

In the report made available on Friday by the Energy Commission of Nigeria, the Programme Management Officer, UNEP, Brian Holuj, explained that attaining Nigeria’s NDC concerning energy efficiency would significantly impact the country’s energy savings.

The development comes on the heels of the increased number of sub-standard air conditioners and refrigerators in Nigeria.

In the preliminary analysis of the potential impacts of room air conditioners for the MEPS in Nigeria, the report forecast showed that by 2040, electricity consumption by ACs would jump by 590 per cent.

“Annual savings in 2040 is 12TWh (12 Terawatts-hour, 12,000,000 megawatts-hour) of electricity consumption, equivalent to five-plus power stations of 500MW each; 7.5 million tonnes of CO2; and $1.3bn on electricity bills.”