This is a presentation on 'Better power: improving customer information and feedback mechanisms in the electricity sector in Tanzania' made at a workshop in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on 8 December, 2015. The presentation was made by senior researcher Ben Garside and senior researcher Sarah Best, of the International Institute for Environment and Development as part of an Energy Change Lab in partnership with Hivos. More details: http://www.iied.org/iied-hivos-partnership and http://www.energychangelab.org/.

1. Ben Garside and
Sarah Best
8 December 2015
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Author name
Date
Ben Garside and
Sarah Best
8 December 2015
Improving customer information
and feedback mechanisms in the
electricity sector in Tanzania
Better Power
Protea Courtyard Hotel, Dar es Salaam, 8 December 2015
Ben Garside & Sarah Best, IIED
Workshop convened by the IIED/Hivos Energy Change Lab, Tanzania

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Outline
1. Introduction: Energy Change Lab & Better Power research
2. Setting the scene:
• What’s the problem in grid and off-grid sectors? (IIED)
• What do people think? Citizens survey (Twaweza)
3. Learning from others:
• Ideas and prototypes (TAREA & Energy Safari)
4. Toward solutions
• Applying ‘accountability’ concepts to customer service (IIED)
• Working Group discussion
5. Next steps and wrap-up

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Background: “Energy Change
Lab” (HIVOS & IIED)
A purposed space to spark breakthroughs in Tanzania’s
energy transition.
Focused on energy systems which are more
people-centred and green
We want to enable a future generation of changemakers
and initiatives that enhance energy accountability and
customer service, promote decentralized energy access,
spur job creation and support a thriving domestic-led
alternative energy sector.
http://www.energychangelab.org/

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Energy Change Lab focus areas
Energy and Jobs
Accountable
energy
Decentralized
energy

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Lab 2015/16 start-up activities
 Energy, customer service & accountability: Sauti Survey
with Twaweza & workshop  co-creating fundable solutions
 Energy & Jobs: research on productive uses of energy in
minigrids - Njombe (publish in 2016)  guidance & pilots
 “Energy Safari” with Buni Hub: immersion learning with
Tanzanian youth innovators  Safari community & mentoring
 Decentralized energy: scoping research on ‘prosumer’
energy in low-income Dar  iconic neighbourhoods

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Why look at ‘information channels’ &
‘feedback mechanisms’?
• Grid and off-grid face problems in product and service quality -
many routes to change (policy, finance, technical)
• Hypothesis: improving information and feedback mechanisms
between providers & users could help e.g.:
 more demanding customers, more responsive provider
 better customer awareness & perceptions of the service
 better tracking of service quality informs policy and consumer choice
• Key questions e.g.
 What do customers need information about, and why?
 What is and isn’t working?
 What opportunities and innovations are emerging?

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Defining our terms
• ‘Information channels’ – type and method of
communicating information e.g. radio, TV, face-to-face
discussions
• ‘Feedback Mechanisms’ – ways for customers to provide
feedback, complain or get their needs addressed e.g.
customer line, suggestion box
• ‘Accountability’ – both of the above PLUS the idea of
rules and enforcement, and active citizenship

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Better power: process
Research
• Key informant interviews & literature
• Sauti Survey
Prototype &
Test
• Energy safari: youth innovation
• Better Power workshop
Publish and
pilot
• Disseminate initial findings
• Help incubate solutions with others

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Sarah Best
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Off-grid solar: sub-standard
products & customer service
Overview
• Sub-standard products is a major issue
• Problem has been mapped by Tanzania solar sector e.g.
• TAREA 2015 Assessment of Solar PV Legal Frameworks
• Lighting Africa 2013 Tanzania Market Intelligence Report
• After-sales customer service is also an issue
• Solutions emerging - but early days, incomplete or need
funding and scale–up
• Energy change lab research: What role could improved
customer information and feedback mechanisms play?

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Outlining the problem (off-grid)
• Growing solar industry has attracted importers of sub-standard
products – usually priced more cheaply
• Risks declining consumer trust in solar market and creates
unfair business competition for quality providers – affecting
demand for whole sector
• Many government agencies are (or could be) involved in
enforcing quality standards in one way or another (e.g. TBS,
FCC, TRA, REA, EWURA)
• But despite some regulatory action, the problem remains – e.g.
due to lack of human resource capacity, solar PV testing
facilities or staff misconduct at Port inspection

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Outlining the problem (off-grid)
• There are other reasons why customers get poor quality
products or service, beyond gaps regulatory gaps e.g:
• Products are damaged during transportation, when installed by
unskilled technicians or after improper use by customer
• People buy bad products because they are much cheaper, or
they can’t tell the difference between good and bad quality
• There are counterfeits – imitating labels of well-known brands
• Providers or retailers don’t offer after-sales service or
warranties

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Grid electricity: outlining the issue
Mixed perception of grid performance by customers
• Many not connected but in general customers are happy
with the connection process
• Poor perceptions on quality of service, particularly on
planned power outages
• Mixed perceptions on dealing with complaints

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TANESCO – Customer Charter (2013)
• Connection within 7 working days where there is existing
infrastructure
• 5 day notice of a planned outage with outage period and reasons
• Planned outages by mutual agreement where possible for large
customers
• Informing customers when an unplanned outage will last longer
than 24 hours
• Log all complaints and respond to written complaints in writing
within 3 days

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TANESCO published KPIs
TANESCO Corporate Business Plan 2015 (2014 data)

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EWURA published statistics
• Reporting on state of regulation, licencing,
and trends/issues
• Quality and Standard of Services
• Generation and Distribution Capacity; Generation mix; Rates,
charges, and price trends; Health, safety, & environment
• Public and supplier awareness raising on
EWURA & rules
• tv/radio campaign; press statements; exhibitions
• suppliers are becoming compliant with the licensing conditions

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Discussing with TANESCO on
how it works in practice…
• Publicising planned outages generally 1-2 days
before (more effective). Very large outages
further ahead
• Vehicles with loudspeaker are most effective
way of communicating
• Other established communication: radio/tv
(announcements and shows); newspapers
• Feedback on effectiveness of communication
comes through TANESCO district offices, and
workshops (large customers)

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How it works in practice (cont)
More recent communication channels:
• TANESCO twitter and Facebook accounts
• SMS service (just starting)
• Revamp of TANESCO website (upcoming)

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Contacts & Presenters
Ben Garside (IIED) ben.garside@iied.org
Sarah Best (IIED) sarah.best@iied.org
Eco Matser (HIVOS) ematser@hivos.org
Maimuna Kabatesi (HIVOS) mkabatesi@hivos.org
Nellin Njovu (Twaweza) nnjovu@twaweza.org
Godwin Msigwa (TAREA) godwinsolar@gmail.com
Maisam Pyarali (Energy Safari) maisampyarali@gmail.com
Remko Berkhout (Natural Innovation) remko@remkoberkhout.net
IIED/Hivos Energy Change Lab http://www.energychangelab.org/