Today is the deadline for Kenyan property owners to comply with new rules on water-heating. From tomorrow, property owners who fail to comply with new regulations on solar water heaters introduced by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) will irisk a $10000 (Ksh1 million) fine or one year jail term for
ERC Director General Pavel Oimeke said the commission is currently carrying out surveillance visits on buildings under construction and random spot checks on existing premises to ensure compliance with the rule, which requires owners of buildings to install solar water heaters to reduce pressure on electricity.
ERC had pushed the deadline for this directive to May 25, 2018, so as to give property owners ample time for compliance.
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The aim is to encourage the use of renewable sources of energy in Kenya. Premises with hot water requirements of more than 100 litres per day must be fitted with solar heating systems. The affected consist of domestic houses with at least three bedrooms, colleges and boarding schools with 20 or more students and hotels, hostels and lodges with at least four beds.
Others include restaurants that serve at least 20 meals a day and laundries that handle more than 20kgs of clothes.
The regulations prohibit Kenya Power from connecting electricity to any of the property owners that fail to install solar panels on their buildings.
The Energy Regulatory Commission has several objectives and functions which include regulating the electrical energy, petroleum and related products, renewable energy and other forms of energy.
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