Use of grid electricity by rural households in South Africa

Abstract

Almost half of rural households in South Africa had been connected to the grid by the end of 1999. This paper describes the utilisation of electricity by rural households in South Africa with reference to quantitative as well as qualitative information on energy use by electrified low-income households. The main findings are the following. Significant percentages of electrified households in rural areas own electrical appliances such as hotplates, kettles, irons, refrigerators, televisions and radios/hi-fis. Not all households that own electrical appliances use them on a regular basis. The reasons for acquiring appliances are of a complex nature – considerations such as usefulness and cost are only some of the factors that influence this, while the symbolic value of appliances is also of importance. While electric lighting is commonly used by electrified households, a significant percentage of electrified rural households continue to use other fuels, particularly candles, for lighting purposes. A significant percentage of electrified households also continue to use battery-operated radios. Furthermore, a significant percentage of rural households use electricity for cooking, although only higher income households are likely to use electricity as the sole fuel for cooking. The service of cooking with electricity is highly valued by many rural households, even if cooking is not done exclusively with electricity. Most electrified households in rural areas use three fuels in combination to meet their energy needs. It seems that electricity does not replace other fuels, but adds to the fuels used by rural households. Many low-income households in South Africa continue to use paraffin after electrification, particularly for cooking and water heating purposes. One of the factors that contributes to this is the view that paraffin is cheaper to use than electricity for these thermal purposes. Nevertheless, a range of factors contributes to the persistent use of paraffin.