Who Uses Electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa? Findings from Household Surveys
Analysis of household expenditure surveys since 2008 in 22 Sub-Saharan African countries shows that one-third of all people use electricity. As expected, users are disproportionately urban and rich. In communities with access to electricity, lack o...
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2016
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/08/26676887/uses-electricity-sub-saharan-africa-findings-household-surveys http://hdl.handle.net/10986/25029 |
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okr-10986-250292021-06-14T10:14:36Z Who Uses Electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa? Findings from Household Surveys Kojima, Masami Zhou, Xin Han, Jace Jeesun de Wit, Joeri Bacon, Robert Trimble, Chris POWER TARIFF STRUCTURE electricity affordability access subsidies poverty gap households gender expenditure surveys Analysis of household expenditure surveys since 2008 in 22 Sub-Saharan African countries shows that one-third of all people use electricity. As expected, users are disproportionately urban and rich. In communities with access to electricity, lack of affordability is the greatest barrier to household connection. Lifeline rates enabling the poor to use grid electricity vary in availability, with six countries allowing 30 kilowatt-hours or less of electricity usage a month at low prices. Affordability challenges are aggravated by sharing of meters by several households -- denying them access to lifeline rates -- and high connection costs in many countries, made worse by demands from utility staff for bribes in some countries. Collection of detailed information on residential schedules enabled calculation of the percentage of total household expenditures needed for electricity at the subsistence and other levels. Affordability varied across countries, with grid electricity even at the subsistence level being out of reach for the poor in half the countries and even more so once connection charges are considered. Examination of the gender of the head of household shows that female-headed households are not disadvantaged in electricity use once income and the place of residence (urban or rural) are taken into account. However, female-headed households tend to be poorer, making it all the more important to focus on helping the poor for the goal of achieving universal access. Installing individual meters and subsidizing installation, encouraging prepaid metering so as to avoid disconnection and reconnection charges, reformulating lifeline blocks and rates as appropriate, and stamping out corruption to eliminate bribe-taking can all help the poor. 2016-09-09T14:32:03Z 2016-09-09T14:32:03Z 2016-08 Working Paper http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/08/26676887/uses-electricity-sub-saharan-africa-findings-household-surveys http://hdl.handle.net/10986/25029 English en_US Policy Research Working Paper;No. 7789 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Africa Sub-Saharan Africa |
| repository_type |
Digital Repository |
| institution_category |
Foreign Institution |
| institution |
Digital Repositories |
| building |
World Bank Open Knowledge Repository |
| collection |
World Bank |
| language |
English en_US |
| topic |
POWER TARIFF STRUCTURE electricity affordability access subsidies poverty gap households gender expenditure surveys |
| spellingShingle |
POWER TARIFF STRUCTURE electricity affordability access subsidies poverty gap households gender expenditure surveys Kojima, Masami Zhou, Xin Han, Jace Jeesun de Wit, Joeri Bacon, Robert Trimble, Chris Who Uses Electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa? Findings from Household Surveys |
| geographic_facet |
Africa Sub-Saharan Africa |
| relation |
Policy Research Working Paper;No. 7789 |
| description |
Analysis of household expenditure
surveys since 2008 in 22 Sub-Saharan African countries shows
that one-third of all people use electricity. As expected,
users are disproportionately urban and rich. In communities
with access to electricity, lack of affordability is the
greatest barrier to household connection. Lifeline rates
enabling the poor to use grid electricity vary in
availability, with six countries allowing 30 kilowatt-hours
or less of electricity usage a month at low prices.
Affordability challenges are aggravated by sharing of meters
by several households -- denying them access to lifeline
rates -- and high connection costs in many countries, made
worse by demands from utility staff for bribes in some
countries. Collection of detailed information on residential
schedules enabled calculation of the percentage of total
household expenditures needed for electricity at the
subsistence and other levels. Affordability varied across
countries, with grid electricity even at the subsistence
level being out of reach for the poor in half the countries
and even more so once connection charges are considered.
Examination of the gender of the head of household shows
that female-headed households are not disadvantaged in
electricity use once income and the place of residence
(urban or rural) are taken into account. However,
female-headed households tend to be poorer, making it all
the more important to focus on helping the poor for the goal
of achieving universal access. Installing individual meters
and subsidizing installation, encouraging prepaid metering
so as to avoid disconnection and reconnection charges,
reformulating lifeline blocks and rates as appropriate, and
stamping out corruption to eliminate bribe-taking can all
help the poor. |
| format |
Working Paper |
| author |
Kojima, Masami Zhou, Xin Han, Jace Jeesun de Wit, Joeri Bacon, Robert Trimble, Chris |
| author_facet |
Kojima, Masami Zhou, Xin Han, Jace Jeesun de Wit, Joeri Bacon, Robert Trimble, Chris |
| author_sort |
Kojima, Masami |
| title |
Who Uses Electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa? Findings from Household Surveys |
| title_short |
Who Uses Electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa? Findings from Household Surveys |
| title_full |
Who Uses Electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa? Findings from Household Surveys |
| title_fullStr |
Who Uses Electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa? Findings from Household Surveys |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Who Uses Electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa? Findings from Household Surveys |
| title_sort |
who uses electricity in sub-saharan africa? findings from household surveys |
| publisher |
World Bank, Washington, DC |
| publishDate |
2016 |
| url |
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/08/26676887/uses-electricity-sub-saharan-africa-findings-household-surveys http://hdl.handle.net/10986/25029 |
| _version_ |
1764458196623163392 |