Ladies associations embark on energy conservation campaign
The ladies associations of the Volta River Authority (VRA) and the Northern Electricity Department Company (NEDCO) have embarked on an energy conservation education campaign at Walewale in the West Mamprusi District of the Northern Region.
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They walked through the principal streets of Walewale while some entered residential facilities to educate domestic, as well as commercial consumers on efficient and effective means of energy consumption, before holding a stakeholders forum at the conference hall of the West Mamprusi District Assembly.
The stakeholders forum, which was on the theme: "Energy Conservation: The Role of Women and The Youth," attracted chiefs, opinion leaders, women groups, shop owners, fuel station operators, security personnel and civil society organisations.
Major users of electricity
At the forum, the Upper East Regional Area Manager of the VRA, Mrs Lucy Perbi Nyarko, said they were targeting women and the youth who were major users of electricity, and pointed out that, on most occasions, the older people, mostly men, left home early in the morning and returned late, leaving the use of electricity to the women and children.
She said energy conservation was not about denying consumers the use of electricity but how to use electricity effectively and efficiently.
Aims of association
The National President of the VRA/NEDCO Ladies Association, Mrs Esenam Agbebo, said the association aimed at uniting all female employees and also to be good ambassadors of the authority and participate actively and effectively in the public education programmes.
She said the association’s welfare policy was beyond the Ladies of the Authority, as they had embarked on social intervention programmes in the operational areas of the Authority.
She said they had made donations to the Tamale Teaching Hospital Children's Ward and the Nyohini Children's Home in Tamale, as well as the Sirigu Children's Home in the Upper East Region.
In the Brong-Ahafo Region, she said similar donations had been made to children's homes and the Ghana Prisons Service and they had also rehabilitated a social welfare centre in Sunyani.
"We are currently sponsoring a lady in the Nalerigu Health Assistants Training School in the Northern Region and we have also embarked on energy conservation walk and education in some second cycle institutions".
She pledged the association's continuous support to management on energy conservation education in its operational areas to create awareness to the general public.
Accept prepaid meters
The District Chief Executive for West Mamprusi, Mr David Wuni, advised residents to accept the transition from the post-paid metering system to the prepaid system.
He said the prepaid metering system was not an imposition by the VRA but an energy management policy adopted as a country to relieve VRA of debt accumulation by households and institutions noted about the previously postpaid meter system.
"Hitherto, the previous metering system had far-reaching negative impacts on the VRA in terms of its ability to ensure quality and effective energy service delivery. As we speak now, most government institutions and residents have had prepaid meters installed for them. It will interest you to know that all departmental structures under the district assembly are operating under prepaid meters,” he added.
