To be taking an energy vulnerability class during a pandemic like this I must say has been a blessing. This is because, with the knowledge I am attaining on this subject matter, I am beginning to understand what energy vulnerability is, and the extent to which it is a world-wide concern even in ‘normal’ times. As such with the enormous amount of fear and panic out there in the wake of pandemic like this, the last thing people need is to be energy vulnerable. This is particularly the case because there are a number of countries under lockdowns all over the world and everyone has to stay home; whatever condition ‘home’ might be in, with respect to accessibility to efficient and adequate energy.
To this end, I think the decision of the Ghanaian government to fully absorb electricity bills for the poor (lifeline consumers) i.e. people who consume 0-50 kilowatt hours per month amidst the COVID-19 pandemic is commendable. All other classes of consumers have also been scheduled to enjoy a 50% discount on their electricity bills using their March 2020 bill as the benchmark. According to the President, “this is being done to support industry, enterprises and the service sector in these difficult times and to provide some relief to households for loss income.”
It is a relief to see policy makers take a stance like this to provide some form of comfort to their people especially in a time like this and I couldn’t resist contributing this news article when I saw it. I believe this article can stir the hearts of policy makers to think of means of meeting the energy needs of their people to improve their quality of life especially in a hard time like this .
Source
Dapaah, E. (April 9, 2020). COVID-19: Government to absorb electricity bills for the poor, others to enjoy 50% slash. Retrieved on April 17, 2020 from:
Ellen Dapaah, "COVID-19: Government to absorb electricity bills for the poor, others to enjoy 50% slash.", contributed by Barbara Ackun, The Energy Rights Project, Platform for Experimental Collaborative Ethnography, last modified 24 April 2020, accessed 26 April 2024. https://energyrights.info/content/covid-19-government-absorb-electricity-bills-poor-others-enjoy-50-slash
Critical Commentary
To be taking an energy vulnerability class during a pandemic like this I must say has been a blessing. This is because, with the knowledge I am attaining on this subject matter, I am beginning to understand what energy vulnerability is, and the extent to which it is a world-wide concern even in ‘normal’ times. As such with the enormous amount of fear and panic out there in the wake of pandemic like this, the last thing people need is to be energy vulnerable. This is particularly the case because there are a number of countries under lockdowns all over the world and everyone has to stay home; whatever condition ‘home’ might be in, with respect to accessibility to efficient and adequate energy.
To this end, I think the decision of the Ghanaian government to fully absorb electricity bills for the poor (lifeline consumers) i.e. people who consume 0-50 kilowatt hours per month amidst the COVID-19 pandemic is commendable. All other classes of consumers have also been scheduled to enjoy a 50% discount on their electricity bills using their March 2020 bill as the benchmark. According to the President, “this is being done to support industry, enterprises and the service sector in these difficult times and to provide some relief to households for loss income.”
It is a relief to see policy makers take a stance like this to provide some form of comfort to their people especially in a time like this and I couldn’t resist contributing this news article when I saw it. I believe this article can stir the hearts of policy makers to think of means of meeting the energy needs of their people to improve their quality of life especially in a hard time like this .