Measure Of Energy Poverty Research Articles

Beyond Utilitarian Economics: A Capability Approach to Energy Poverty and Social Suffering

ABSTRACT This article uses energy poverty and social suffering phenomena to show the inadequacy of utilitarian policy-making that puts primary focus on resource generation and availability as a means of socio-economic development. This approach fails to acknowledge that energy generation can go-hand-in-hand with energy poverty and social suffering. Drawing on empirical qualitative research in Zimbabwe, the article shows how a lack of social and political-economic capabilities contributes to energy poverty, which consequently leads to social suffering. The article draws on Amartya Sen’s capability approach, and then extends the argument through a Foucauldian analysis of power. It concludes that the local people of the region studied are more capability poor than energy poor. The article proposes a sense of capability, or the evaluation of the subjective and enduring experience of capability deprivation resulting from one’s social position, as an important consideration in energy policy. Policy makers should consider wellbeing as a basis for energy policy and the generated data could feed into a wider multidimensional measure of energy poverty that includes not only objective criteria, but associated perceptions as well.

Childhood Adversity and Energy Poverty

We use data from China Family Panel Studies to examine the effects of being a child or adolescent in China’s Great Famine on the likelihood of being in energy poverty in adulthood. We find that a one unit increase in the intensity of the Famine, measured by the number of excess deaths per 100 people, is associated with a 1.8-3.5 percentage points decline in the probability of being in energy poverty in adulthood, depending on the exact specification and measure of energy poverty. We find that personal income is a channel through which being a child or adolescent during the Great Famine affects the proclivity to be in energy poverty later in life. These findings are robust to alternative ways of measuring childhood adversity and energy poverty.

Energy Poverty and Subjective Well-Being in China: New Evidence from the China Family Panel Studies

Using the 2012-2018 waves of the China Family Panel Studies, we investigate the impact of energy poverty (EP) on subjective well-being (SWB) among Chinese adults aged 18 and over. In addition to documenting EP rates in the range of 13.2% to 35.3% (dependent on measurement used), we show that EP lowers life satisfaction, with more pronounced impacts among males, the poor, and those residing in central regions. These results are robust to both alternative EP and SWB measures and to a series of estimation approaches that control for endogeneity. An additional structural equation modelling analysis of underlying mechanisms confirms that individual self-reported health, housing quality, and household food expenditure mediate the EP-SWB relation.

Energy poverty. How can you fight it, if you can’t measure it?

Energy poverty is a complex and multidimensional problem, lying at the intersection between household income, energy costs and the energy efficiency of the housing stock. Despite a growing interest and several new initiatives to contrast energy poverty, there are still relevant problems regarding its definition and measurement. In this work, we review the existing definitions, measures and policies with a specific focus on Italy. We present an indicator developed in a èr Faiella and Lavecchia (2015) and recently adopted by the Government as the official measure of energy poverty for Italy. According to this indicator, in 2016 there were over 2.2 million energy-poor households or 8.6% of the total. We also introduce a new indicator of energy poverty, independent from households’ preferences, derived from the heating expenditure needed to achieve a minimum comfort level. According to this new measure, there were around 3 million fuel poor households in 2014–16 (11.7% of all households).

Invisible energy poverty? Analysing housing costs in Central and Eastern Europe

The paper presents a comprehensive approach to capturing the scale of exposure to hidden energy poverty at a household level in 11 Central and Eastern European countries. Despite constant refinements, the currently used energy poverty metrics remain highly controversial when it comes to inter-country comparisons. Scarce data and the lack of agreement on the energy poverty definition among the EU countries impedes operationalization of energy poverty measures on a global scale.Instead, we propose a reliable tool for tracking hidden energy poverty based on the existing micro-level data compiled by Eurostat. The paper assumes that the energy poor limit their energy consumption to the level below what is reasonably assumed a decent life. To estimate the expected energy costs, the paper introduces a new statistical approach. We consider multiple aspects of exposure to hidden energy poverty, including dwelling parameters and location, households’ structure, and regional specificity.Our findings confirm that on average 23.57% of the Central and Eastern European population is exposed to hidden energy poverty. The examined profiles are quite heterogeneous. In general, the affected are single-person households or living in detached houses and remote areas households with dependent children. The paper provides suggestions for targeted policy action.

Improving Energy Poverty Measurement in Southern European Regions through Equivalization of Modeled Energy Costs

In many European countries, energy poverty is measured on the basis of real energy bills, as theoretical energy costs are hard to calculate. The UK is an exception—the data inputs for the Low Income-High Cost (LIHC) indicator are based on reasonable energy costs, these data are collected through specially designed surveys, often an intensive and costly procedure. Approaches which calculate energy needs are valid when energy bill data are unreliable or where households restrict consumption. In this analysis, energy poverty levels are evaluated for Greece, the municipality of Évora (Portugal), and the Basque Country (Spain): energy bills are modeled based on building energy performance data and other energy uses, and adjusted according to socio-demographic variables. To this end, equivalization weights are calculated using socio-economic data from the aforementioned southern European countries/regions. Data are analyzed to compare measurements with actual versus modeled bills using the Ten-Percent Rule (TPR) and Hidden Energy Poverty (HEP) against twice the median (2M) indicator, enhancing the identification of households with low energy consumption. In conclusion, theoretical energy needs can be combined with socio-demographic data instead of actual energy bills to measure energy poverty in a simplified way, avoiding the problem of targeting households that under consume.

Meta-analysis of empirical evidence on energy poverty: The case of developing economies

Energy poverty has evolved as an important issue of research from academic and policy perspectives during the last two decades. The energy poverty estimates exhibit widespread variations across regions, methodologies and datasets, making the task of energy and development policies challenging. The variations in energy poverty estimates necessitate a systematic and rigorous analysis of these empirical studies to obtain a true measure of energy poverty. The present study conducts a meta-analysis of 30 studies and 103 estimates of energy poverty. On average, 71.1 percent of the population in the overall sample studies has been identified as energy poor. High I-square statistic values suggest heterogeneity bias in the sample studies; therefore, analysis at the subgroup level has been conducted. Meta-regression analysis of overall sample and subgroups has identified type of methodology, citations, impact factor of the journal, regional dummies, average key crude oil price and gross domestic product as significant factors that explain heterogeneity in the energy poverty effect sizes. We recommend inclusion of local and regional factors in assessment of energy poverty for developing a uniform methodology to assess energy poverty across developing economies.

Towards a new approach in measuring energy poverty: Household level analysis of urban India

Measurement of energy poverty has been a missing priority in energy research. There is hardly any consensus regarding whether to consider energy as a resource or capacity, output or outcome, and quantity or service. In this paper, we revisit major approaches in literature to assess energy poverty: economic, engineering, and access-based, including others. We critique the economic and engineering approaches for the arbitrariness of cut-offs and the misplaced emphasis on less meaningful energy quantity. Finding the access-based approach most suitable, we propose a method of assessing energy poverty based on deprivation in modern cooking and lighting fuels. We divide the energy-poor into three groups: transitional, moderate, and extreme energy-poor. We apply the method to India's urban areas of different states and union territories using the national sample survey data. The results reveal energy poverty to be primarily dictated by deprivation in cooking and a greater incidence of energy poverty in larger states. In contrast to conventional measures, we compute the depth and severity of energy poverty only for energy-poor as opposed to for the entire population. These complementary measures depict energy poverty of energy-poor more accurately and therefore will direct the attention of pro-poor energy policies and programmes appropriately.

European energy poverty metrics: Scales, prospects and limits

Energy poverty, a condition whereby people cannot secure adequate home energy services, is gaining prominence in public discourse and on political and policy agendas. As its measurement is operationalised, metrical developments are being socially shaped. A European Union mandate for biennial reporting on energy poverty presents an opportunity to institutionalise new metrics and thus privilege certain measurements as standards. While combining indicators at multiple scales is desirable to measure multi-dimensional aspects, it entails challenges such as database availability, coverage and limited disaggregated resolution. This article converges scholarship on metrics – which problematises the act of measurement – and on energy poverty – which apprehends socio-political and techno-economic particulars. Scholarship on metrics suggests that any basket of indicators risks silencing significant but hard to measure aspects, or unwarrantedly privileging others. State-of-the-art energy poverty scholarship calls for indicators that represent contextualised energy use issues, including energy access and quality, expenditure in relation to income, built environment related aspects and thermal comfort levels, while retaining simplicity and comparability for policy traction. We frame energy poverty metrology as the socially shaped measurement of a varied, multi-dimensional phenomenon within historically bureaucratic and publicly distant energy sectors, and assess the risks and opportunities that must be negotiated. To generate actionable knowledge, we propose an analytical framework with five dimensions of energy poverty metrology, and illustrate it using multi-scalar cases from three European countries. Dimensions include historical trajectories, data flattening, contextualised identification, new representation and policy uptake. We argue that the measurement of energy poverty must be informed by the politics of data and scale in order to institutionalise emerging metrics, while safeguarding against their co-optation for purposes other than the deep and rapid alleviation of energy poverty. This ‘dimensioned’ understanding of metrology can provide leverage to push for decisive action to address the structural underpinnings of domestic energy deprivation.

Who is energy poor? Evidence from the least developed regions in China

Energy poverty has become one of the major challenges faced by the world's energy system. However, there is no consensus on the measure of energy poverty. Several approaches have been proposed, among which the energy poverty line has been defined as the minimum quantity of energy required for basic life, particularly for cooking and heating. This paper estimates the relationship between energy expenditure and household income and identifies the energy poverty line based on the threshold above which the energy share becomes insensitive to household income using household survey data from rural Qinghai, China. Considering the ongoing energy transition and the negative impacts of biomass energy consumption for the environment and health, the study sets a scenario in which all bioenergy consumption is replaced with electricity. The findings show that 57% of rural households in rural Qinghai are energy poor. The phase of energy poverty in terms of basic energy access has passed, so increasing the share of efficient modern energy in household energy consumption requires more attention. Considering the existence of a population that is not income poor but is energy poor, a conventional policy design that primarily targets income-poor households may be inappropriate in this case. • We provide an approach to estimate energy poverty tailored to local specificities. • The energy poverty lines are identified based on different scenarios. • About 57% of rural households are energy poor in rural Qinghai, China. • Increasing the share of modern energy is key to reducing household energy poverty.

Big Data and Energy Poverty Alleviation

The focus of this paper is to bring to light the vital issue of energy poverty alleviation and how big data could improve the data collection quality and mechanism. It also explains the vicious circle of low productivity, health risk, environmental pollution and energy poverty and presents currently used energy poverty measures and alleviation policies and stresses the associated problems in application due to the underlying dynamics.

Energy poverty in Ghana: Any progress so far?

This paper investigates the dynamics of energy poverty in Ghana using two nationwide cross-sectional datasets (Ghana Living Standards Surveys Round 5 and Round 6). Employing the Multidimensional Energy Poverty Index (MEPI) as a measure of energy poverty, this paper estimates that the share of energy poor people decreased from 88.4% in 2005/2006 to 82.5% in 2012/2013. The results indicate that although there has been a significant decline in the overall energy poverty in Ghana during the study periods, the incidence of energy poverty remains high. Moreover, the study findings show a large gap between urban and rural energy poverty over the two periods; rural people are almost twice as energy poor as urban people. These findings suggest the need for the incorporation of energy poverty reduction strategies into income poverty reduction strategies to help improve not only access to modern energy but also in terms of affordability.

A multidimensional measure of energy poverty in China and its impacts on health: An empirical study based on the China family panel studies

Abstract: Inability or insufficient access to modern forms of energy is an important issue in development, which makes the notion of energy poverty a widely discussed topic. A consensus has been reached that energy poverty has serious health, education, and other socio-economic impacts for people in a country. However, measurements of energy poverty have generally been absent or inaccurate, especially for developing countries at the micro level. This paper begins with the multidimensional nature of energy poverty and uses household-level survey data in China to construct a quantitative measure of energy poverty, covering both affordability of and accessibility to a broad range of forms of energy. It then builds an econometric model to address empirically how much energy poverty affects health. A statistically significant and robust negative impact on health from energy poverty is confirmed. Our results have important policy relevance in terms of understanding the current status quo of energy poverty in China and its consequences. The concept can also be expanded to investigate similar issues in other developing countries.

Energy Poverty Measures and the Identification of the Energy Poor: A Comparison between the Utilitarian and Multidimensional Approaches in Chile

This work explores the consequences that different energy poverty definitions might have in the energy policy debate. We estimate the ten percent rule index (TPRI) while proposing and measuring a multidimensional energy poverty index (PMEPI). Both indices uses the 2017 National Survey of Public Perception on Energy applied to a sample of 3,500 households in Chile. Although both measures find that the energy poor represents about 15% of the population, energy poverty levels vary differently across the population depending on the employed measure. Moreover, the indices produce different energy poverty rankings across the territory, and most energy poor households are either TPRI poor or PMEPI poor. We found that this discrepancy between both energy poverty measures is mostly explained by territory linked factors such as public lighting, service quality, service reliability, and thermal comfort. Consequently, an energy poverty analysis based solely on income or energy expenditure information (TPRI) is likely to neglect supply side constraints that are captured by the PMEPI. When identifying and targeting the energy deprived, the conclusion is that both energy poverty measures should not be used as substitutes but as complements.

A Deprivation-Based Assessment of Energy Poverty: Conceptual Problems and Application to Germany

In this paper, subjective and objective aspects of deprivation are used to derive an aggregated multidimensional measure of energy poverty. The proposed measure is based on deprivation with a direct relation to energy consumption, but it also accounts for excessive financial restrictions due to energy costs, it gives priority to low income households, and controls for economic energy use. Based on logistic regression, we find strong effects of income and energy expenditure on the likelihood of energy deprivation in Germany, but these variables only partially constitute energy poverty. Other aspects, e.g. employment status or housing conditions, play an important role as well.

Development of vulnerability index for energy poverty

Beyond the definition and measurement of energy poverty, which have mainly attracted research interest over the last decades, attention has recently begun to turn to a broader notion of energy vulnerability. So far, this has mostly been approached on a theoretical base, suggesting the incorporation of broader socio-economic aspects into the energy poverty framework. However, the quantitative measurement of energy vulnerability is still an unexplored field of research. In this paper, the “Vulnerability Index” is developed, which, based on stochastic analysis, quantifies the vulnerability of a population to the energy poverty ratio, compared to a reference population. Moreover, Sensitivity Analysis quantifies the particular contribution of various parameters to the problem, by determining their weighting factors. As case study, the vulnerability of Greek mountainous regions with respect to the country level was studied. The results showed that households living in mountainous regions are more vulnerable versus those of the whole country, at 89.7%. It was also found that energy policy should focus on raising incomes of mountainous population and, afterwards, on energy saving measures and reduction of heating cost in mountains. The methodology suggested can address social inequalities of vulnerable population groups, in terms of energy poverty.

Comparing different methodological approaches for measuring energy poverty: Evidence from a survey in the region of Attika, Greece

This paper uses and comparatively evaluates objective, subjective and composite indicators for measuring and analyzing energy poverty in Attika Region, Greece. The necessary data for the quantification of these indicators were gathered through a survey involving 451 households. The results of the analysis showed that the measurement of energy poverty based on classical objective and subjective indices leads to divergent results, which in addition have little relevance to each other. To a large extent, households characterized as energy poor by one method are not classified as such with another. The use of composite indicators adjusted to local circumstances seems to form a more coherent framework for measuring energy poverty in an area and may provide additional information as regards the intensity of energy poverty. The implementation of the two composite indicators developed in the context of this study showed that energy poverty levels in the region of Attica range between 37% and 43.5%. About 27.5% of the households are energy poor with both composite indicators, while the 11.5% of households are characterized by high energy poverty intensity. Also, the analysis of the characteristics of the energy poor households provides useful insights for developing appropriate policies to tackle the problem.

Extreme Energy Poverty Incidence and Determinants in Nigeria: A Multidimensional Approach

Energy poverty has emerged in recent times as a crucial aspect of poverty, afflicting the developing world in general and Nigeria in particular. Drawing from some of the recent literature on energy poverty measurement, this study measures and discusses the incidence and determinants of extreme energy poverty in Nigeria based on a robust multidimensional energy poverty index that covers five major dimensions and six indicators of deprivation in basic energy services. The study uses the 2010 Harmonised Nigeria Living Standard Survey—obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics, Abuja, Nigeria—for its analysis. The results of the study show, among other things, that over a fifth of the Nigerian population are afflicted by extreme energy poverty and the phenomenon is more pronounced in the rural areas than in the urban areas as well as in Northern Nigeria than in Southern Nigeria. The results also indicate that the determinants of extreme energy poverty include region of residence, household composition as well as age, gender and educational level of household head. The Nigerian government should take urgent and adequate steps to eradicate extreme energy poverty in the country in order to pave the way for rapid and sustainable development in the country.

A critical review of modern approaches for multidimensional energy poverty measurement

Recent efforts to measure energy poverty more comprehensively attempt to redress the shortcomings of binary metrics that remain in common use. However, significant challenges remain both with the construction of the new measurement frameworks and their application. The paper presents an analysis of recent multidimensional measurement approaches and applications to draw inferences on the implications of applying these for the measurement of energy access and in informing policies aimed at improving it. The assessment suggests that despite progress having been made in capturing the multidimensional nature of energy poverty, the new measures are currently too complex to operationalize at the global level and too prescriptive to gain acceptance in diverse national contexts. Further efforts are thus required to consolidate and simplify the new frameworks for global tracking purposes, and to adapt and modify these to specific country contexts to inform national policy and planning. A subset of key energy poverty dimensions and uniform set of indicators need to be shortlisted for the purposes of global comparisons, while specific national tracking efforts can apply dimensions and thresholds most suited to accurately capture energy poverty and its drivers in a given context.This article is categorized under:Energy Policy and Planning > Economics and PolicyEnergy and Development > Economics and PolicyEnergy Infrastructure > Economics and Policy

La pobreza energética en la Unión Europea y el Reino Unido

La pobreza energética es una realidad en Europa a pesar de que haya países donde no se reconozca, hasta el punto de no contar con una definición para ella. Sin embargo, su identificación a nivel comunitario está avanzando y resulta conveniente avanzar hacia un mecanismo de medición homogéneo. El Reino Unido por su parte, podría considerarse líder en esta materia dada la involucración tanto del Gobierno Central como de las naciones en la medición de la pobreza energética y en el desarrollo de medidas y planes para su erradicación. La eficiencia energética se ha convertido en uno de los principales pilares de estos planes.