Electricity supply, I believe, is one of the basic important amenities every country should have. Its benefits cannot be overstated! However, the level of availability of these basic amenities differs from one country to another. It will even interest you to know that a country that supplies light to other neighboring countries finds it difficult to give their own citizens the privilege of enjoying a steady power supply.
When we talk of quality lighting and safety in our environment, electricity supply is vital. In our homes with the electronics that make life easier, we need it as well. What about in health care, education, and industrial production? Electricity supply works better, improving the quality of life of people in the society and in turn affecting our economic growth positively. I can't exhaust the importance of this basic amenity for humanity in a hurry.
Unfortunately, the electricity supply in my area is nothing to write home about. Here, it's annoying with the way the power holding company supplies us light. We could go weeks without the shout of UP NEPA! Even the middle-class families are striving to install solar due to the high cost of petrol. Depending on petrol means spending hugely on it weekly because we need electricity to navigate our lives.
Recently, they started rationing the light, one week in and one week out, and I think it is even manageable, unlike what we had before. The thing is that whether you have an electricity supply or not, at the end of the month, you still face one outrageous bill from NEPA. Imagine a family paying #47,000 per month. That's crazy, something you didn't really use. I have a prepaid meter, but I usually feel for those using estimated bills in my area. It is what it is.
In the past, some sensitive part of our transformer worth millions of naira once got stolen, making us go on total blackout for two months. The power holding company didn't come to our rescue; we, the residents, raised the money and fixed the mess before our light got restored.
The power supply here is really NOT great, but there is nothing we can do other than look out for alternative means of survival. I see that in some countries, their citizens do not know what it means to live without electricity, but the reverse is the case here. Having constant electricity in so many areas in my country is like digging for gold and wondering when we will finally see this gold.When I hear about other countries and how they swim in the ocean of light with respect, I envy them. You know they receive a message or signal telling them in advance that there will be a power outage, so they know in advance; that's wonderful. Here, you will be in the middle of ironing your church cloth, and boom, the light is gone. You will either wear rumpled cloth and go to church or stay back...lol.
Overall, I can only hope that someday , this will become a story!
This is my entry to the Sci-fi weekly prompt. Feel free to get involved here.
Images were taken from canva