Electrical utility is one of the vital infrastructures of society with almost every single aspect of modern life depending heavily on the supply and management of power. Electricity consumption is directly linked with economic development and modern lifestyle. Safer electrical infrastructure has been a topic on the decision and policy maker’s table for long. While there has been substantial discussion on the mission criticality of safety of electrical networks, power stations and smart grids, not lot has been said and done on safety of electrical infrastructure in residential spaces, especially the affordable housing that caters to the masses.
In general, affordable housing refers to residential spaces that are designed for households whose income is below the median. Affordable housing has become a significant demand in developing nations where the majority of the population finds home ownership unaffordable.
For residential segment, discussion on safety of electrical infrastructure has been mostly restricted to electrical hazards especially in adverse weather conditions such as flood and rain. But role of electrical infrastructure in facilitating growth and enhancing the lifestyle of people owning affordable homes has seldom been given the due attention. In multiple studies, it has been concluded that human development and access to electricity are co-related. For a basic social need like home, it is critical to see these two aspects in coherence.
Though residential segment overall has witnessed significant progress in terms of electrical infrastructure over the years, but a lot needs to be done to bring the standards of affordable housing at par with the global ones. In fact, it is imperative that the safety of electrical infrastructure of affordable housing is considered as central to the wellbeing of the largest base of consumers there is.
Going by the traditional wisdom on pricing of high-quality products people tend to believe that better quality comes at a higher price tag. Though the availability and reliability of high-quality electrical products has been a major consideration for safety of living spaces, consumers have settled in for inferior quality products because better quality is unaffordable at large.
With high-quality yet affordable electrical products, a multitude of advantages can be extended to homeowners.
1. Safe home ownership
Conventionally the objective of affordable housing planners has been to maximize home ownership to low-medium income segment. There is a need to shift the end goal and enable safe home ownership. There are two main infrastructure aspects of safe homes. One being the building material and the other safe electrical infrastructure. An electrical setup developed out of tested certified electrical products can minimise electrical hazards. In long run it will optimise the cost of safe home ownership.
2. Optimized power consumption
Increased power bill is often attributed to frayed wiring. Damaged wiring does increase electricity power bill but electricity leakage at switches, socket and switchgear too lead to household drawing more power that doesn’t make to the end devices. Result, household consumes more power than needed to run appliances. With high quality electrical products, electricity leakage can be minimised leading to optimised power bill.
3. Improved lifetime of appliances
For low-medium income segment, purchase of a new appliance is not frequent. Purchase of appliances for cooling, heating, cooking, and cleaning is often parked because of not just the product cost but also foreseeable needs of power consumption and maintenance. With better electrical infrastructure home appliances can have an improved shelf life leading to more households ready to make investment in electric home appliances and hence better lifestyle.
In the coming decade many affordable homes will be built. Providing owners, the access to high quality electrical products will build a physical setting for a better lifestyle. Himel, a multinational brand with presence in over 57 countries, is shifting the paradigm by making high quality electrical products available at affordable prices. The brand has a special commitment to enabling greater accessibility of its product portfolio for affordable housing and small and medium enterprises.
Himel, a global brand, founded on the principle of value engineering which facilitates cost optimization in various electrical components and materials without loss of performance or functionality. With lean manufacturing and value engineering Himel is able to extend the benefit of lower cost to end customer. Having been rigorously tested, Himel products ensure optimum performance for complete lifetime. This minimises the recurring cost of maintenance, which can be significant for low-middle income households. The brand has enabled development of several affordable residential complexes in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Central Eastern Europe.
Complete portfolio of certified electrical switch gear
Himel offers a complete range of miniature circuit breaker, residual current device, surge protection device, distribution boxes, switches and sockets.
These products have been tested in a dedicated facility for high performance under operating conditions. This is specifically relevant for countries where adverse weather conditions are rampant and power supply is erratic.
Easy accessibility
Himel products are easily available through an extensive network of point-of-sale stores, multi-retail chains and online platforms. Be it the range of switches and sockets or home electrical products like the fuse, electrical tape and extension sockets, Himel products suffice for all residential needs.
Competitive pricing
To facilitate wider accessibility of its product range, Himel offers competitive pricing which is affordable for end customers.
About Himel
Himel is an award-winning global manufacturer and supplier of electric products for Low Voltage Power Distribution, Final Distribution, Power Management, Motor Control and Protection, Industrial Components, and Home Electric offers. Recently the brand has been recognized as the Most Reliable Residential Segment Electrical Products Brand for the Middle East.
Interested to gain more information about Himel? Then please read these articles:
Driving modernization of power infrastructure through value engineered electrical products
Implementing Fire Resistant Electrical Infrastructure for Residential Safety
Maximizing Safety in Rapid Urbanization with Value Engineered Electrical Products
