Electricity has become something we cannot live without, as we need it on a daily basis. Unfortunately, we don't get enough of it. I don’t even know what it feels like to have a constant power supply, even though I live in what is regarded as a big city, the city of Lagos State, Nigeria.
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Power outages are no longer news in my country; in fact, we are used to them, and for you to escape their impact, you must own a generator or solar system; otherwise, the many power outages will keep affecting whatever you are using the light for. All our gadgets and home appliances need electricity to function, and not having an alternative power supply can be difficult.
Here in my country and in the community where I reside, the kind of screaming from people each time there's a power supply will convince you that we don't usually get power more often, and whenever it comes, the excitement is second to none. If we do experience constant power supply, you wouldn't be hearing the neighbors shouting up NEPA. Hahaha, it's funny, but that's our reality. Talking about my experience with a power outage, where will I even start? As a matter of fact, I have no power supply as I type, and I will soon step out to buy this terrible amount of gasoline. Life hasn't been easy, and the rate of disappointment from power has been so high and uncomfortable. For some businesses that require power to do their job, they are running at a loss due to expenses related to the purchase of gasoline. I spoke with my former boss last week, and he told me that no staff works daily now. They have to work today and skip tomorrow due to the high cost of running diesel. This, of course, leads to low productivity, and it's affecting our economy. If we are constantly in power, no firm will bother skipping a day without work, but after checks and balances, some skip in order to escape loss.
Detailing the power outage saga in my country might require that I write more than 5,000 words because it hasn't been a great experience.
My worst experience
The power holding company restored light one day, but it seems like it came with high voltage. There were some sparks in the electric bulbs in my house, and even my TV went blank. It was just some seconds of ugly happening with the electricity, which affected our transformer as well. That was the beginning of our constant power outage, which lingered Eve for more than one month.
Fixing the transformer took 3 weeks, and just before it got fixed, road construction in my community began, which affected us for another 3 weeks. So join together; it was actually one month and two weeks of power outages.
During this period, I was constantly having an empty battery on my gadgets, and my activities with them became a hassle. I do buy fuel, but at a time, the expenses from fuel became alarming due to how costly it is. I usually cook soups and stews for the family and have them preserved in the freezer, but on those days without power, my food got soured. Some of the electronics I use at home have become useless; I can't even iron out clothes that look nice. Charging my gadgets gave me lots of stress, as I would always step out looking for someone on their generator. I wish I had solar; it would have reduced the stress. I stopped preserving my food but warm it every time using a gas cooker. This made my gas get exhausted sooner than it was supposed to, resulting in an extra cost. The stress that came with the lengthy power outage was terrible, and I hope not to experience it anymore. At least, fair enough for us to manage.
I am looking forward to that time when we will enjoy a constant power supply, just like other countries. Right now, there's a little improvement, but yet having completed 24 hours of electricity looks like winning the lottery.
This post is in response to the Hive Learners Community Contest on the topic titled power outage.
