When compared to 2019, total electricity consumption in March declined 5%. This shows the state of emergency in Latvia negatively affects electricity consumption, AS Sadales tikls board chairman Sandis Jansons has declared.
He says during the state of emergency Sadales tikls’ duty before the state and society is ensuring uninterrupted supply of electricity without delays and exceptions.
“Many work and study from home using IT technologies and energy resources. This means our work continues as usual and our services remain available to our clients as before, because clients actively use the e-environment to sign up for services,” says Jansons.
He explains the electricity network is a critical state infrastructure. This is why Sadales tikls will continue performing maintenance, repair and restoration tasks not possible to reschedule. To avoid interfering with remote work and teaching process, scheduled work is planned to be commenced after 12:00. Efforts will be put in making sure electricity supply disruptions do not exceed five hours.
“The safety of employees performing repairs and maintenance on power lines is highly important. Like medical personnel, they are irreplaceable,” said Jansons, adding that in other European member states, such as the Czech Republic, the Netherlands or even Ukraine, transmission system operators continued investment projects to maintain the power network safe and secure.
However, all work at clients’ homes is temporarily put on hold.
Jansons says Sadales tikls has 1957 employees and in order to maintain the highest degree of safety changes have been added to work processes, allowing remote work and remote meetings.
“Remote work is successfully implemented thanks to the company’s adopted technologies and IT solutions. Repair crew perform maintenance on power lines in compliance with safety and hygiene requirements,” says Jansons.
When asked how the state of emergency affected electricity consumption in Latvia, Jansons said information compiled for March made it clear the general electricity consumption volume declined by 5% when compared to 2019.
He explains the biggest consumption decline is observed in the legal persons segment, because the government’s established restrictions have a significant effect on trade, culture, sports and public service companies. This trend is also observed in other European countries, where businesses have hit a dead end because of the epidemic.
Jansons stresses that reduced electricity consumption also reduces revenue for Sadales tikls. Nevertheless, this must not affect the company’s scheduled work and tasks associated with safe electricity supplies have to be performed regardless.
“The power supply network needs to the maintained properly and clients have to be provided with uninterrupted supply of electricity, regardless of individual consumption volumes. This is why our power network maintenance costs will not change,” says the head of Sadales tikls. (BNN/Business World Magazine)
