Non-universal nature of energy poverty: Energy services, assessment of needs and consumption evidences from rural Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

Consumer behavior in rural ecosystems represents considerable variations vis-à-vis consumption of energy in different forms. Consumer preference towards any given energy service is a function of geographical situatedness, local customs, traditions and tastes including local weather conditions. Rural flavour of energy poverty has a distinctive micro-character which can be understood in terms of socio-cultural behaviourism of an energy consumer. This geo-spatial flavour further appears to be a function of socio-economic functionalities of communities which could be socio-culturally- similar or different. Energy poverty is saddled with conceptual concentricity. Empirical evidence shows that the phenomena and the concept both are vulnerable in terms of operationalization by means of a single universal definition. It exhibits contrarian hues in terms of availability, access, distribution, affordability, and acceptability of an energy service. This study presents an alternative approach to understanding of both-the phenomena and the associated conceptual construct. The present paper is an explicit representation of the everyday grain of energy needs and consumption patterns in six rural socio-cultural systems. This study based upon fieldwork in the six villages viz., Bhadroya, Thapkour and Gaghwal (Kangra District) and Kakira, Bidingi and Talhara (Chamba District) throws up interesting findings which challenge the contemporary discourse on energy poverty.