EXACTLY, that's one thing I just don't get about this place!
There is so much potential of saving energy here. Fuel and energy-costs are actually still TOO CHEAP here, not too expensive.
Mind you, I also hate paying my ADDC-bills (I'm at EY), but it just p!$$es me of how they waste energy here. No wonder that the company doesn't want to pay for it either.
And unfair that only expats are affected by the problem, instead of everyone.
Construction flaws: Single-pane windows without sun-shades, thin walls without any insulation, electric water-boilers installed inside the air-conditioned room, artificially cooled swimming-pools outside in the sun, and so on.
Plus stupid behaviour of many guys, who turn the aircon inside the staircase to 10°, or leave the main entrance door of the building (it's a highriser) wide open when going in or out. How many people leave the lights on in all the rooms, don't set the a/c off or at least to a higher setting while they are out, or even bother to switch off the TV while they're not watching.
How many times do I see parked vehicles with their engines running, because people want a cool interior when they come back (it's not just the locals who do this, but many expats too, including my own neighbours).
Nobody here cared about energy-efficiency when they bought their flats and villas. At the moment, nobody cares about the fuel-economy of their cars - just wait and see what's gonna happen to the price of fuel within the next couple of years. You think it's gonna stay at 15 DHS per gallon?
Nope. Gradually, the costs of energy are going to rise, until sooner than later they will be up to a normal level. Here like anywhere else.
It all just fits in with this mentality of careless wasting, in this country. And now, we're all surprised to find that it actually does cost money.
It's hard for all of us.