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On “Dumsor” in Accra:
How Do Some Ghanaians Cope?
A short report based on a survey in Accra
Ashesi Research Committee
Copyright © ARC 2015 On “Dumsor” in Accra 1. Introduction
As Ghana’s energy crisis deepens, many Ghanaians have resorted to finding alternative
strategies for coping with irregular power supply across the country. The Ashesi Research
Committee undertook a poll of some residents in Accra to provide an indication of how
households are adapting. Our survey is not representative of all Ghanaians, and the analysis
is therefore confined to our sample.
2. Survey Design
The survey was conducted in Accra (March 2015) at four locations: namely, Accra Mall
(291respondents), Achimota Station (228), Osu Oxford Street (97) and Makola (164). 780
people participated in the survey. Respondents (randomly selected) were asked two
questions:
a. What coping strategies do you resort to when power goes off?
Respondents were provided with nine alternative power options - generator, an inverter
(with an electrical power supply source or with a solar power source), a solar lantern, a
kerosene lantern, candles, a rechargeable lamp, a battery-operated lamp and an option for
listing other alternatives not provided.
b. Where do you live?
The options for accommodation included living in institutional (for example, student hostels
or company provided accommodation), owner-occupied and rented housing as well as other
options supplied by the respondents.
3. Results
Most of the respondents (45.9%) lived in rented apartments; the second largest
group was of respondents living in their own homes (38.7%). Less than 9% of the
respondents lived in institutional (8.6%) and other types of accommodation (6.8%).
Other types of accommodation cited by the respondents included living in kiosks, with
friends, living in the market, among others.
Of the respondents sampled, 21.7% used rechargeable lamps during power outages while
21.4% used generators. The least popular strategies for coping among those sampled were
inverters with electrical mains (less than 1%) or solar panels (1.4%), kerosene lanterns (2.3%)
and solar lanterns (3.5%).
We observed some variation in the choices across the various residences of the respondents.
The generator is the most common option among respondents living in their own homes
(29.5%). Rechargeable lamps (22.2%) and battery-operated lamps (15.9%) were also
frequently used alternative power options.
Among the respondents who live in rented accommodation, candles and generators were
equally used (10.9%). On the contrary, rechargeable lamps and battery-operated lamps have
a higher frequency of use among respondents living in rented accommodation (greater than
20%).
ashesi.edu.gh 1 Copyright © ARC 2015 On “Dumsor” in Accra Finally, there is a greater use of generators as an alternative power source among those living
in institutional accommodation. Approximately 41.8% of the respondents have a generator
in their institutional accommodation. We also found considerable use of battery-operated
(17.9%) and rechargeable lamps (17.9%) among these respondents.
3.1 Owner-Occupied and Rented Accommodation
In this section, we expand on the coping strategies of two particular types of households,
namely, (a) owner-occupied and (b) rented accommodation households.
3.1.1 Owner-Occupied Accommodation
Figure 1 shows the summary of coping strategies for respondents who live in their own
homes. The figure indicates that among the respondents who own their own homes in
Accra, generators are the most popular coping strategy. The second and third most
frequently used options were rechargeable lamps and the other category.
In table 1, we provide an overview of the various items cited by respondents in the other
category. Mobile phones (32%) and none - no alternative power source (32%) - are the most
commonly cited items in the other category. The households with no alternative power are
approximately 5% of those living in their own accommodation.
Battery−operated Lamps
Candles
Generator
Inverters + Electrical Mains
Inverters + Solar Panels
Kerosene Lanterns
Other
Rechargeable Lamps
Solar Lanterns
0
20
40
60
80
100
Number of Households Sample = 302 Households Figure 1: Alternative power sources among respondents living in their own homes in Accra
ashesi.edu.gh 2 Copyright © ARC 2015 On “Dumsor” in Accra Table 1: Other Coping Strategies: owner-occupied accommodation
Bobo (traditional kerosene lamp)
Gas lamp
Mobile Phone
Move to a different place when the lights go off
None
Switch to a different phase without “dumsor”
Torch
Power bank Total
Number
1
1
16
2
16
1
12
1
50
Percent
2.0
2.0
32.0
4.0
32.0
2.0
24.0
2.0 100
3.1.2 Rented Accommodation
Figure 2 shows the summary of coping strategies of the respondents living in rented
accommodation. The majority of the households in rented accommodation opt for other
options as a coping strategy. Rechargeable lamps and battery-operated are the next most
frequently used alternatives.
Table 2 provides detailed information about the other category. The majority of respondents
(46.2%) that chose the other category reported that they had no coping strategy, representing
13% overall, of respondents living in rented accommodation. Meanwhile 25% of the
respondents who chose the other category indicate that they used their mobile phones.
Battery−operated Lamps
Candles
Generator
Inverters + Electrical Mains
Inverters + Solar Panels
Kerosene Lanterns
Other
Rechargeable Lamps
Solar Lanterns
0
20
40
60
80
100
Number of Households
Sample = 358 Households
ashesi.edu.gh 3 Copyright © ARC 2015 On “Dumsor” in Accra Table 2: Other Coping Strategies: Rented Accomodation
Bobo (traditional kerosene lamp)
Mobile Phone
None
Torch
Total
Number
4
26
48
26
104
Percent
3.8
25.0
46.2
25.0
100
4. Conclusion
The survey shows that the respondents living in Accra resort to various alternative power
sources to cope with the current electricity shortage in the country. Respondents who live in
their own homes resort to the use of generators when power goes out; close to half of the
respondents who live in rented houses however, resort to cheaper alternatives, chief among
which are rechargeable lamps. Battery- or solar-powered lamps, candles, generators and
kerosene lanterns are also popular.
Some households have gradually adapted to the power crisis by using non-traditional
alternatives such as the light from their mobile phones. Traditional alternatives such as
kerosene lanterns and bobo (traditional kerosene/paraffin oil lanterns) are also used in
coping with the power outages. The survey also shows that a few households do not have
any alternative, and have to endure darkness when the power goes out.
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