Easy Solar
Making solar energy affordable to low-income customers in Sierra Leone through rent-to-own financing
- Company
- Energy
- West Africa
- 2018
- Active
The challenge
More than 87% of Sierra Leone’s 7.4 million people live without electricity and only 1% have access in the country’s rural communities. Households in the country spend up to 30% of their income on alternative and often unhealthy fuels, such as batteries or kerosene. While solar lanterns are available, they are often outside of the financial reach of those living in poverty.
The innovation
Easy Solar provides pay-as-you-go technology, allowing low-income customers to use mobile money to make payments for off-grid energy access. The company’s online platform tracks payments and empowers agents to serve their customers. The company is building a brand based on trust, enabling it to overcome many of the hurdles in delivering energy solutions in a new market.
The impact
Operating since 2016, Easy Solar has reached more than 7,000 customers in its first two years in business.