Work, food, rent, television: The role of lifestyles and experiences on household energy behaviour in rural Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

Human engagement with modern energy services is foundational to social and economic welfare, as is their disengagement with welfare inhibiting traditional energy services. With modern energy access often leading to the stacked use of modern and traditional energy services, there is a need to understand the drivers and determinants of the energy decision-making of the energy poor. This study draws on 83 semi-structured in-depth interviews with 67 energy poor households in rural Lagos to explore what their lived realities reveal about the nature of their energy decision-making. We observe three important drivers behind household decision to consistently engage with a fuel-technology combination in practice: their organisation of daily life and by extension their vocational activity, the urgency of operating the service, and experience with and exposure to an energy service. Findings suggest that if traditional energy services are to be displaced, then in addition to using modern energy services to develop people’s lives, we need to develop people’s lives to use modern energy services.