HOUSEHOLD ENERGY CONSERVATION, WASTE AND WATER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN PORT HARCOURT METROPOLIS, RIVERS STATE

Abstract

The study examined household energy conservation, waste and water management practices in Port Harcourt Metropolis. The study adopted both primary and secondary sources of data collection. A total of 11 communities were selected through simple random sampling using the balloting technique while 396 respondents were selected across the target communities using the Taro Yamane and proportion allocation method. The study identified proper bagging and making use of designated waste disposal locations as the predominant household waste management practice. In addition, 40.2% of the sampled population made use of energy saving bulbs and appliances as against 59.8% who do not use energy conserving bulbs and appliances. The study also revealed that 45.1% attributed low income and financial earnings while 29.1% attributed insufficient waste storage and disposal containers as the major factors associated with unsustainable household practices. Finally the tested hypotheses at 95% probability level revealed that income and educational status significantly influenced household waste management practice and energy usage respectively. Therefore, the study recommends that adequate awareness against unacceptable household practice like indiscriminate waste disposal should be undertaken.