Has energy poverty entangled the households by hindering the filial generation?

Abstract

Considering that the forms of representation and consequences of energy poverty differ with national conditions, this study first defined energy poverty in China based on theory and the reality of household energy consumption. Subsequently, new assessment indicators of energy poverty of structural stacking and insufficient application were constructed based on this definition. Using data from Chinese Family Penal Studies (CFPS) 2012 to 2018, the study then validated the adverse impact of energy poverty on academic performance of school-age children in Chinese households. And the robustness of the finding is established through the instrumental variables approach. The key findings of this study are: (1) Energy poverty in households has a lasting impact across generations, which acts as an important constituent of human capital development in offspring. (2) Energy poverty influences knowledge acquisition by impacting the time allocated, health and fundamental competencies. (3) There is a rural-urban gap in the effects and the underlying mechanisms. These findings offer new perspectives on multidimensional poverty in developing countries. They also shed light on the intergenerational consequences of energy poverty and provide new evidence highlighting the importance of effective energy poverty management.