High-speed internet access and energy poverty

Abstract

We examine how access to high-speed internet affects the probability of being in energy poverty. To do so, we match data on Australia's National Broadband Network (NBN) high-speed internet rollout across postcodes with longitudinal data that contains information on household energy poverty for a nationally representative sample of Australians. Applying a difference-in-difference approach, we find that a 1% increase in the proportion of a postcode that gains access to the NBN causes an average increase of 2.2% in the probability of being in energy poverty. We find that social capital is a channel through which access to high-speed internet transmits to energy poverty. Specifically, the rollout of high-speed internet access has contributed to lower levels of social capital and lower levels of social capital have contributed to higher levels of household energy poverty.