Determinants of energy expenditures for Turkish households using quantile regression and data from an original survey in Turkey.

Abstract

Since the energy expenditure of households is an essential component of the total demand for energy, making the energy consumption in dwellings sustainable is vital to manage financial, environmental, and political risks related to energy import and consumption because controlled and sustainable energy expenditure, as one of the most prominent issues in today's world, depends on a consensus of common sense regarding all the parties in the sector including households. This matter has rendered an investigation into the factors affecting the energy expenditure of households valuable and constituted the motivation of this study. The aim of the study is to determine the factors that affect the entire energy expenditure of households in Turkey, including heating, electricity, kitchen needs, and fuel needs for transportation, and to determine the quantities of these effects. In this regard, household budget research surveys conducted by the Turkish Statistical Institute were used in the study. The study concluded that socioeconomic indicators, particularly the age, marital status, educational background, and income of household responsible people and the technical characteristics of houses, have an effect on the energy expenditure of households. The results of the study provide valuable information to policy makers and decision makers in order to minimize the risks originating from energy import and expenditure by revealing the factors affecting the energy expenditure of households in Turkey.