Funded by “Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Partnership “(REEEP)

27th February 2013

CHOICES SA - Energy Access for Improved

Rural Livelihoods in the Blue Crane Route

Municipality (BCRM)

Feedback from the BCRM energy survey

A key stakeholder in

the BRM and key supporter of the CHOICES-SA Project.

Mayor: Majorie

Nontutuzelo Scott

catalyse long term support from key stakeholders,

notably the municipality and investors .

build capacity of communities to understand

sustainable energy markets and attract investment.

explore and promote the feasibility

of community driven energy

service delivery.

Mr. Sisa Njikelana:

Chairperson of PCE in RSA

Parliament

… “energy access for rural

communities is a priority of

Energy Portfolio Committee”

A recent quotation on energy access . . .

In Africa today 800m people do NOT have

access to electricity – this number will

increase to 1.1 billion people in the next

decade [NEPAD]

SA needs to find a balance between energy

access and affordability

Christoph Frei: World Energy

Council Secretary General.

Talking at the Africa Energy

Indaba, Sandton RSA.

Assess the relative importance of energy services with

respect to other community issues;

Determine the community energy needs;

Determine the current community energy use;

Determine key perceptions relevant to current use and

possible energy access from local energy source

(renewable energy)

Build capacity and social infrastructure to facilitate the

Project into the future.

. . . It is critical for the BCRM to have credible baseline information for

planning purposes . . .

John Notoane

energy survey objectives. . .

Introducing Choices-SA to SE

BCRM Energy Survey Process . . .

survey questionnaire design process.

do not re-invent the wheel.

consultation with local & international experts

language considerations; English/Afrikaans/Xhosa

sampling of target households for survey

urban/peri-urban/rural; grid/off-grid

survey questionnaire implementation process

use locals to conduct survey

data capturing done locally too

ward committees, PSC part of survey process

THANK YOU

TO THE CHAMPIONS FOR CONDUCTING THE ENERGY SURVEY

IN THE BCRM

. . .

PSC Chair: Cllr. Mali

energy survey champions

CHOICES-SA Participatory Energy Survey Implementation Structure

Project Steering Committee

Councillor: Somerset East

Councillor: Pearston Councillor: Cookhouse

Project Energy Survey Coordinator

Survey Coordinator: Pearston

Survey Coordinator: Somerset East

Survey Coordinator: Cookhouse

Interviewers Interviewers Interviewers

On

eWo

rld

Pro

ject

Tea

m S

up

po

rt

Blue Crane Development Agency – Survey Office Facilities

Agr

icu

ltu

ral

Ass

oci

atio

ns

Energy Surveys Target Samples

% of Population No-grid Access

Sample Size

Grid Access

Sample Size

Number of

interviewers

Somerset

East

47.4% 109 158 13-8

Pearston 11.5% 26 38 4-6

Cookhouse 14.8% 34 49 4-8

Rural 26.3% 60 88 7-8

Total 100% 230 334 28- 26

Total Sample 564

Cllr. Manxoweni – “it is important for the Choices -SA Project NOT to create wrong expectations in the communities”

Key messages from the energy survey

88% of households have 1 or 2 children at

school – impact of energy access on education;

72% oh households use electricity for lighting,

and these costs keep going up!

The energy economy is cash based, no credit is

used (or available);

About 56% of respondents have cell phones –

important to enable communication.

Key messages from the energy survey

where electricity is used, all other fuels are abandoned – why?

How best does the BCRM promote energy mixing?

87% of households have income =< R2500. What portion is

spent on energy and why? Increasing access has to be

incremental to be sustainable.

FBE lasts for 4 weeks in 7% of households! What makes this

possible? How do we improve on this?

62% uses electricity for cooking & but 25% for space heating;

64% prefer firewood for space heating – health/cost?

of all sampled households, 62% of energy purchase and use

decisions are made by women;

Pearston Ward discussion on Choices-SA

A good place to start . . .

With our current socio economic profile of the

BCRM household, we need to find ways to be more

efficient with our energy uses, look closely at more

renewable forms of energy AND find the best mix of

energy options that will stretch resources currently

spent on energy access.

THANK YOU!