Energy literacy levels and energy investment choices of faith-based organisations in Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Ghana: Implications for energy conservation

Abstract

Achieving energy literacy is now considered both a necessary and sufficient condition to ensure strict adherence to energy conservation/efficiency programs. While the existing literature has considered the energy literacy of different end-users, a gap exists in the energy literacy levels of faith-based organisations and how they impact energy conservation in faith-based organisations. This study surveyed responses of church leaders connected to energy decision-making in the church from randomly selected 44 faith-based organisations in Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Ghana, to explore energy literacy levels (i.e. multifaceted and individual dimensions) of these leaders, how it connects with energy expenditures of churches and what influences energy appliance investment choices among faith-based organisations. Lighting and cooling appliance of churches were generally found to be inefficient, and churches consider the brand name of the appliance as the most important factor when making energy appliance investments. The findings also demonstrate that, generally, church leaders have very low multifaceted energy literacy levels, but are much more promising for action energy literacy with a mean score of about 66 percent. Finally, churches with energy-literate leaders experience a lower risk of high electricity expenditure compared to their compatriots who are energy illiterate. Specifically, leaders with action energy literacy exert a significant negative effect on electricity expenditure. In addition, churches with utility committees experience a lower risk of higher electricity expenditure, but the size of the church positively correlates with electricity expenditure. Our findings demonstrate the need to strengthen energy education in churches.