What does it mean to live without electricity?
See how much electricity Americans use each day – and understand how crucial it is to our daily lives. Electricity is not a luxury, but a necessity, and all 7 billion humans should have access to it.
Most people living in Africa use significantly less electricity in a year than the global average – and 7 out of 10 people in sub-Saharan Africa live without it every day.
Here’s a list of 8 electric-powered household items that you might use today. They use MORE electricity than an average person in sub-Saharan Africa. Imagine not being able to refrigerate food for your family because you don’t have access to electricity – or watch the news or heat your water. These actions are a necessary part of daily life – but for nearly 1 billion people, this isn’t an option:
2 hours of TV: .5 kWh
That’s more energy than the average Kenyan uses a day!
Dishwasher: 1.8 kWh a load
That’s how much energy the average Moroccan uses a day!
Dryer: 3 kWh a load
That’s how much the average person from Gabon uses a day!
Refrigerator: 4.3 kWh a day
That’s more than the average person from Botswana uses a day!
Freezer: 4.8 kWh a day
That’s more than the average Zimbabwean uses every 2 days!
Central air conditioner: 11 kWh a day
That’s just under what the average Moroccan uses a week!
Water heater: 12 kWh a day
That’s how much the average Kenyan uses a month!
Electric furnace: 36 kWh a day
That’s more than the average Nigerian uses for 3 months!
Surprising, right? Makes you think about your electricity use a little differently.
But here’s the best news: You can change this.
Join ONE and support a bill that will help African governments bring electricity to 50 million people for the very first time.