THE REAL COST OF IRREGULAR AND EPILEPTIC POWER SUPPLIES

PHOTO CREDIT:pexel.com 

By OLUWABUSAYO MADARIOLA

The world has transitioned in many ways regarding the use and purpose of energy in making the lives of man better, more productive, longer and healthier.

Electricity which is one of the many forms of energy has gone through many improvements in regenerations in the modern times and this regenerations with development has being in the direction of growth and expansion for man and his environment. Most of the innovations and break-through in technologies in this era all have their base in electricity. For examples, most of our house holds appliances and conveniences are based on the use of electricity.

Modern health care systems and its proper functioning are based on the constancy of electricity. Surveillance and security cannot be adequate without regular power supply.

More so, developed economies are exploring other sources(solar and hydro power) to generate electrical power from to upgrade and upscale the improvement of lives and living of their citizens.

The nation of China, Brazil and Canada explore the use of water to produce and generate electricity (hydroelectricity).

Other nations have being harnessing the power of the ray of sun to produce electricity. Germany, China and Japan have being producing huge gigawatts of power using solar energy.

There are real personal and economic benefits to the constant supply of electricity.

In a situation where there are epileptic and irregular powers supplies, the cost is enormous. In Nigeria, while power has somehow improved, it’s still a far cry from what it ought to be, if lives and economic health as a nation must improve and progress.

These are the real personal and economic cost of epileptic power supply:

-         Irregular electricity supply diminishes the creative geniuses or power of people. Imagine if you are working with an idea in your mind as power supply ceases? The first emotion you feels is anger, followed by desperation. The emotion of anger because there is an interruption in ones thought flow and then desperation because, instead of focusing so much on the idea at hand, one will re-direct thought process,  to look  for an alternative solution which will definitely hinder the creative flow one had for the idea initially.

-         Irregular electricity supply is destructive to growth and development. The access to global news and occurrences will be terminated when one does not gain access to news via the modern use of technologies. When there is no power, the phones, television sets are shut down which means that one cannot harness the power of information as the time it is needed.

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-         Irregular power supply diminishes earnings. Know that one cannot have adequate savings if the nation one lives in cannot give constant electricity supply to her citizens because almost all the gargets, work machines and communications tools that we use now are premised on the use of electricity. Citizens will have to consistently look for alternatives to electricity supply, which is supposed to be produced by the government, which will come at a cost to them because their earnings are the means of purchase for an alternative.

-         Irregular electricity supply dampens enthusiasm. Irregular electricity supply is a kill-joy if one is enthusiastically involved in an activity and electricity supply ceases. Epileptic electricity supply dampens the spirit and cuts short the eagerness, intensity and enjoyment one initial starts anything with (it could be a project, work, entertainment, support).

-         Irregular electricity supply wastes resources. Almost all modern tools are designed for use with both the fore and hind sights of regular electrical supplies. However, when there is a disruption, these tools become redundant. The cooling systems in forms of air conditioners, fridges, deep freezers: computers, phones all become unusable because the power to make them functional is missing. Another very important item irregular power supply wastes are perishable consumable items. Perishable consumables are preserved in cooling systems with electricity supply as the fuelling power. However, when the fuelling power of that cooling system no longer exists, it defeats the very purpose it was put up in the first place. Items in cooling systems (freezers, refrigerators) spoils and wastes as they cannot be preserved and has to be thrown away.

-         Irregular power supply increases cost of living.As we have outlined in our various points above, almost all modern day systems are created based on the use of electricity so when it’s not in constant supply, people will have to look for alternatives to power to make use of the necessary tools they have to make life easy for them. In looking for alternatives, they get to purchase these alternatives at a higher cost from those who sell who may also need those same alternatives to electricity supply to preserve and make sales. For example, the prices of consumable items goes up when there is constant irregular power supply because those who sell those items also have to make use of alternative power supply, at a cost, to preserve the items that will be sold.

Every society that must improve the her citizens must make sure that their energy supplies are constant. Almost all modern appliances and apparatus are based on the use of electricity supply. Security systems would not be in touch notch if surveillance cameras which need power (electricity, solar, hydro) to function aren’t in place. Health, education, foods all needs power in one form or another to make them work effectively. For the underdeveloped and developing nations to maximize the enormous potentials of her citizens, she must get the supply of electricity right.

OLUWABUSAYO MADARIOLA is a Principal Officer at ZOE&PHIL, LAGOS, NIGERIA

email: thezoeconcept@gmail.com