MERA Consumer Affairs and Public Relations Manager, Fitina Khonje, in an interview with Zodiak Online, attributed the low adoption rate to unfounded fears that gas does explode. 

“The country has in the past few years registered unprecedented number of electricity, charcoal and fuel related accidents and only one gas related accident and it was not gas explosion but it was due to poor usage of gas, and as MERA, we are assuring the nation that gas is safe,” said Khonje.

She also said as compared to charcoal, electricity and firewood, gas is affordable.  

“We are using the media and all sorts of avenues in sensitizing masses on economic, environmental and safer benefits of using gas to at least reach 3% by 2023,” said Khonje.

On Saturday, MERA conducted a day long media training on its services and products and it was attended by journalists from the southern region under Blantyre Press Club.

The club’s president, Blessings Kanache, described the workshop as an eye opener as for a long time, journalists have not been able to give correct information on gas usage.

“We are now going back to our media houses well informed and surely we will be able to give correct information about gas a source of energy and through our stories we will be contributing to environmental conservation by encouraging use of energy than firewood and charcoal,” said Kanache.