Aiming for a Moving Target: The Dynamics of Household Electricity Connections in a Developing Context

Harris, Tom; Collinson, Mark; Wittenberg, Martin

doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2017.03.016

Cited by 10 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…In another study in Haryana, India, respondents preferred chapatti cooked on traditional biomass 'chulah' stoves (Joon et al, 2009). In Harris et al (2017) shows that despite an increase in household electricity access over the long run, this increase does not happen monotonically, and factors such as disconnections from the electricity grid, migration and new-household formation mean that households transition between having and not having electricity access over time. Another reason households may use a mixture of energy sources, suggested by Louw et al (2008), is as a method to decrease vulnerability to unforeseen fluctuations in energy supply.…”

Section: Household Fuel Stacking Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stacking up the ladder: A panel data analysis of Tanzanian household energy choices

2019

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Energy-use statistics in Tanzania reflect the country's low level of industrialization and development. In 2016, only 16.9% of rural and 65.3% of urban inhabitants in mainland Tanzania were connected to some form of electricity. We use a nationally representative three-wave panel dataset (2008-2013) to contribute to the literature on household energy use decisions in Tanzania in the context of the stacking and energy ladder hypotheses. We firstly adopt a panel multinomial-logit approach to model the determinants of household cooking-and lighting-fuel choices. Secondly, we focus explicitly on energy stacking behaviour, proposing various ways of measuring what is inferred when stacking behaviour is thought of in the context of the energy transition and presenting household level correlates of energy stacking behaviour. Thirdly, since fuel uses have gender-differentiated impacts, we investigate women's bargaining power in the decision-making process of household fuel choices. We find that whilst higher household incomes are strongly associated with a transition towards the adoption of more modern fuels, especially lighting fuels, this transition takes place in a context of significant fuel stacking. In Tanzania, government policy has been aimed mostly at connecting households to the electric grid. However, the public health, environmental and social benefits of access to modern energy sources are likely to be diminished in a context of significant fuel stacking. Lastly, we present evidence that the educational attainment of women in the household is an important aspect of household fuel choices.

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Section: Household Fuel Stacking Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stacking up the ladder: A panel data analysis of Tanzanian household energy choices

2019

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“…Even though improving energy efficiency is an urgent need, South Africa's history also affects electricity demand. Too many poor households have no access to basic services, such as water, sanitation and electricity; a recent study (Harris et al, 2017) argues that changes in household electricity access are closely related to household formation and dissolution dynamics in South Africa. As part of the National Indigent Policy (DPLG, 2009), which aims at poverty alleviation, the FBE policy has been in place, since 2003 (DME, 2003).…”

Section: South African Residential Energy Consumptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determinants of household electricity consumption in South Africa

Koch

Zhang

2018

Energy Economics

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Little is known about residential electricity demand in developing countries. In order to shed some light on this topic, this study combines data from South Africa's recent Income and Expenditure Survey with data from the National Energy Regulator of South Africa to estimate the determinants of residential energy demand. Combining electricity tariff data from the regulator with expenditure survey data from households provides an opportunity to explore the determinants of the demand for electricity. Due to the large number of zeroes in the dataset, a two-part model is employed. The results indicate that household income and electricity price are major demand determinants, and for the full two-part model, electricity demand is normal, as well as downward sloping, although inelastic in both cases; as expected, substitute fuel use impacts these elasticities. We also find that access to free basic electricity, a policy designed to improve access to electricity does what is expected. It is associated with increases in the probability that households purchase electricity and reduces total expenditure on electricity. Household demand is also higher for appliance-rich households in urban areas, especially if there are more household members and they live in larger dwellings.

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“…For the analysis, we restructured the dataset into a panel of households. In order to do this, we implemented a method developed by Harris, Collinson and Wittenberg (2017) and Harris (2016). They use a rule-based approach to define:…”

Section: Data and Descriptive Statisticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rural-urban migration and the well-being of the migrant-sending households: An impact evaluation study

Nyoni¹

2022

South African Journal of Economic and management Sciences

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Background: Rural-urban migration is largely depicted as a household survival strategy, yet rigorous quantitative studies to uncover its impact on the sending households is rare.Aim: The study aims to assess the causal impacts of rural-urban migration on sending households’ economic and subjective well-being (SWB).Setting: The context of the analysis is South African rural-urban migration using the National Income Dynamics Study panel data.Methods: A range of methods are used to increase the consistency and precision of estimates, namely: Ordinary Least Squares, Fixed Effects, Difference in Differences, Difference in Differences with Propensity Score Matching and Difference in Differences with instrumental variables, controlling for pertinent issues such as fixed effects, self-selection and endogeneity.Results: Our econometric analysis reveals a positive correlation between migration and the SWB of the sending household. This effect can be attributed to a range of factors discussed in the study, one of which is the positive association observed between the migration of a household member and the origin household’s economic well-being. This upswing in economic well-being is captured by increasing the sending household’s monthly income per capita and increased remittance inflows.Conclusion: From our analysis, we can infer that the improvement in economic well-being offsets the psychological effects of separation, thus leading to the enhanced SWB of the migrant-sending households in South Africa.

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Aiming for a Moving Target: The Dynamics of Household Electricity Connections in a Developing Context

Cited by 10 publications

References 33 publications

Stacking up the ladder: A panel data analysis of Tanzanian household energy choices

Stacking up the ladder: A panel data analysis of Tanzanian household energy choices

Determinants of household electricity consumption in South Africa

Rural-urban migration and the well-being of the migrant-sending households: An impact evaluation study

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