The country once again joined the rest of the world in commemorating Global Earth Hour.
However, for the first time since the country began participating, the kingdom failed to meet its target of saving 25MWh, recording only 0.2MWh.
The annual global initiative, observed on Saturday from 8:30pm to 9:30pm, encourages households, businesses and institutions to switch off non-essential lights as a symbolic commitment to environmental conservation and energy efficiency.
While the outcome might appear underwhelming, officials say a combination of unforeseen circumstances and underlying consumption trends contributed to the low figures recorded this year.
According to Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) Environmental Specialist Constance Van Zuydam, a severe storm earlier in the day caused widespread power outages and faults across several parts of the country.
She noted that the electricity supply was only restored to many households shortly before the Earth Hour period, leaving little room for participation.
“As a result, many Emaswati prioritised essential domestic tasks such as cooking and household chores once power returned, making it impractical to switch off again during the designated hour,” she said.
Providing further context, EEC Marketing and Corporate Communications Manager Khaya Mavuso said the utility had set an ambitious target in line with its national energy efficiency goals.
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“EEC wishes to extend its sincere gratitude to all those who participated in the 2026 Earth Hour.
“The actual reduction recorded was 0.2MWh against our average consumption on the previous three Saturdays.
“We acknowledge that weather conditions during those benchmark Saturdays were not favourable and naturally suppressed typical demand. Therefore, the baseline itself was lower than normal, making the relative saving appear modest in absolute terms,” he said.
Nevertheless, Mavuso commended the growing awareness of Earth Hour across Eswatini, noting that even a small reduction in demand during this symbolic hour reflects a commitment to environmental conservation.
“Every kilowatt saved is a step towards a more sustainable energy future,” he said.
He added that EEC viewed the outcome not as a shortfall but as a starting point.
“We encourage continual improvement in energy-saving habits of turning off non-essential lights and appliances, using energy-efficient devices and being mindful of consumption year-round and not just for one hour,” said Mavuso.
