Addressing the Prevailing Energy Crisis in Sri Lanka: A Case for Cost-Efficient Energy Consumption

Abstract: The economic crisis in Sri Lanka has significantly influenced people's lives, leading to shortages of basic needs such as medicine, food, and fuel. The prevailing situation has taken the country further from achieving sustainable development goal 7, which is to provide affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. Despite the potential for renewable energy, Sri Lanka's key energy sources are primarily oil and coal. Therefore, the government had to revise the electricity tariffs recently in order to cover the coal expenditure. As a result, most people are still unaware of the electricity bill value they expect at the end of the month. This study covers a suggested web-based system that focuses on micro-level aspects of the problems mentioned above. The monthly electricity bill prediction is a vital part of this system which guides users to follow a cost-effective electricity consumption pattern. The system also carries out an online donation program aiming to give long-term energy solutions to recognised rural communities, thereby addressing the issue of energy poverty in these regions. The work done to incorporate these technologies into a web application is further explained in this research with architectural diagrams. Furthermore, literature reviews were conducted to convey comparisons and interpret the results to reach a decisive conclusion.