"I keep falling for you like the national grid"
"I love you like how NEPA loves to take light"
The above are two hilarious statements you find people say in my country. It may seem funny and hilarious—of course it's mostly used for this reason—but then it's a reflection of the abrupt nature of electric power supply in my country. At least for the major parts of the country. I would be wrong per say to totally state it as such. However, even with statistics, the majority determine what is considered as true state of a matter, and in this case especially when the masses are the victims here.
Electricity is critical to any nation and its growth, even to an individual in this present day. The world has moved from an agrarian to digital one, with electricity playing a major fact in accommodating and fostering this age. With digital devices in place and ruling our world, providing ease, efficiency and more productivity, electricity performs a major duty as power for these devices.
One of the major power sources is electricity—alongside hydro, wind, biomass, solar, nuclear. A place like my country relies and uses mainly electricity as the power source. It being the major and most used power source has made it a necessity, except you're still in the stone age, or sadly in a rural area. For every urban; and rural-urban area to some extent, it's a must do.
Counting these its status and necessity, electricity fails to provide the needed services and satisfaction required to the people. One of the most certainties in a place like this is the failure of electrical power. In most regions, this is the case with exceptions of a few areas; especially where the "big ones" inhabit. For the most, electrical supply is one you could describe as poor and pathetic.
I'll say though that where I currently am, electricity isn't bad. We have what you could count as closely 24 hours light supply. It goes and comes back in short time duration. Of course, there are days when the story is different. For the most though, it's a not bad situation. It will be good to also know that here, electrical power tends to determine one's settlement in a place. While looking for a place to rent, I had to strictly consider light as one of the priorities, and gladly I got one.
Here, electrical light supply is categorised in bands—Band A, B, C. The categorisation determines the level of light supply to an area. So, you have it deprecating from Band A down to C. Note also that this categorisation also affects the light bills. With those receiving more light, more bills are placed on them. I'll say it's not totally palatable. Something I've always clamored about is the fact that my country has the capacity to supply power invariably to all, and in good duration or amount.
The high nature of light bills which feels much life a robbery has caused many to opt to prepaid meters—which you should note is never a preferred option from my understanding and experience. The use of prepaid meters has caused many to put away the use of several appliances in order to manage bills. Funny to say, some don't even use electric iron in their house again. Using the electrical power direct is much desired by many, however the bills that come will make one see the wisdom of getting a prepaid meter.
The current state of electrical power supply is a pathetic and poor one as earlier stated. While growing, we inadvertently learned to celebrate light when it gets supplied due to how much we don't get to see it. Trust me, it still happens in some places. It can be done better though. And I believe one way forward is to consider other power sources as well, thereby reducing the dependence on electricity alone, making it more distributable and available to all.
This is my entry for SciFi Multiverse weekly prompt, week 6.