An exploration into the household energy choice and expenditure in Bangladesh

Abstract

Globally 1.3 billion people have no access to electricity, and 3.0 billion people rely on biomass and firewood for cooking. It is projected that by 2030, 1 billion people will have no access to electricity, and 2.4 billion people will continue to depend on firewood and biomass for cooking. It is widely documented that the use of firewood and biomass for household chores can have detrimental impacts on human health from indoor air pollution. The massive use of firewood and biomass can lead to deforestation and environmental degradation. Therefore, it is imperative to ensure the use of clean energy, such as electricity and gas for household chores. To encourage the use of clean energy, the factors that affect a household's choice of energy must be understood. Using information collected from more than 29,000 households in Bangladesh, the study econometrically demonstrates that the incidence and reliance on clean energy is high among the households headed by relatively highly-educated and wealthy heads and spouses. Particularly, households use clean energy progressively with an increase in income. Based on the findings, this study suggests specific policies to encourage the use of clean energy for household chores.