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Changing Lives
March 2020
Supporting Clean Energy Use
The mobile money services supports carbon
emission reduction by facilitating use of clean
and affordable energy sources. In many
countries mobile money is promoting the use of
solar energy for electricity and cleaner fuels like
butane gas for cooking, by enabling payments
for these services in small instalments.
Orange Energy ‘Pay As You Go’
Solar Service - Orange Money, Africa
In Africa, approximately 50% population does
not have access to electricity. In rural areas,
this rate reaches up to 82% of the population.
Orange Energy, a ‘pay as you go’ solar service,
is helping people in rural areas of Africa
countries such as Madagascar, Democratic
Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire,
Senegal, Guinea and Mali to get access to solar
energy. Orange offers subscribers a
comprehensive kit including a solar panel, a
battery and accessories such as LED light
bulbs, mobile charger and radio. Customer can
pay for the service in small monthly installments
using Orange Money. More than 10,000 Orange
Energy solar kits were sold in 2018. This
innovative service makes solar energy more
widely accessible thanks to the great flexibility
of mobile payments.
Payment for Cooking Gas -
Orange Money, Niger
More than 90 percent of the households in
Niger use coal or wood for cooking. This, in turn,
results in significant deforestation, often over
four times the area of Niger's capital, Niamey. To
prevent deforestation and environmental
degradation, the government is encouraging
people to use butane gas for cooking, which
is sufficiently available in the country. Private
gas distribution companies like Gani Gas are
helping the government to accelerate the
adoption of gas for cooking. To ensure easy
availability and payment, Gani Gas has
partnered with Orange to allow the purchase of
gas bottles (gas cylinders) using Orange Money.
Orange Money allows customers to make
payments for gas in one go or in instalments.
The ability to pay in instalments makes buying
the gas more affordable. Hence, even low-
income households are encouraged to switch
from wood to gas.