Wasteful energy consumption is defined by Enel X as using electricity ‘for a task that is unimportant, unnecessary, or unlikely to succeed’. Our research aimed to truly understand the scope of wasteful electricity consumption within Nigerian households by finding out the habits and behaviors that contribute to household energy waste, and propose solutions based on our findings.
We began our research by interviewing 7 participants, after which we surveyed a further 87 people. This report delves into the insights we received from our research.
Interview participants agreed that energy waste is a problem, noting that it causes climate issues like climate change and global warming. 75% of interview participants reported that they are not extremely conscious of their energy use, with some stating that they only became conscious of it once it started affecting them financially.
Participants reported leaving lights and unused devices on as the main factor contributing to their energy waste, with some noting that inconsistent power supply causes them to forget to turn devices off.
When asked what steps they had taken to minimize energy waste in their household that more people should implement, participants suggested that more households should switch to energy-efficient bulbs and devices where possible, install programmable thermostats and unplug unused devices.
Participants stated that the government should invest in renewable energy, reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, implement an efficient system that gives accurate data on Nigeria's energy consumption, and educate and sensitize the masses on the impact of wasteful energy consumption.
When surveyed, 86.2% of people were found to primarily rely on electricity distribution companies for electricity, with 9.2% primarily using generators and 3.4% using inverters. 50.6% of people spend between ₦10k and ₦20k on electricity in a month, with 25.3% of people spending above ₦80k per month. With Nigeria's minimum wage being ₦30k, it is clear why interview participants reported only becoming conscious about their energy waste once it started to hurt them financially.
81.6% of participants reported using a generator at least once a week, with 28.7% using generators at least once a day. Generators emit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. Only 37.9% of participants reported using inverters at least once a week, which requires less energy.
Despite 96.5% of participants reporting that they use televisions and freezers/refrigerators at least once a week, only 27.6% and 33.3%, respectively, admitted to often forgetting to turn them off when not in use. 90.8% of participants use energy-saving bulbs, and 48.3% reported that wattage is very important to them when purchasing bulbs. This shows that people are starting to become aware of their energy consumption.
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