Household Appliance Ownership Research Articles

Financial inclusion's impact on energy poverty: Evidence from Indonesia

This study tests the association between financial inclusion and energy poverty in Indonesia. It adopts multi-dimensional energy poverty and financial inclusion measures employing the 2018 Statistics Indonesia data. The energy poverty measures cover six indicators, i.e., the primary cooking fuel, indoor air pollution, lighting, ownership of household appliances, and supporting essential services such as education, entertainment, and communication. On the other hand, the financial inclusion variable involves household access to banks, credit, and insurance. In testing the financial inclusion-energy poverty association, the present study performs the Two-Stage Least Square (2SLS) method, involving household distance to the nearest financial facilities as an instrument variable (IV) to overcome the potential endogeneity problem from the reverse causality between the financial inclusion and energy poverty. This analysis reports a robust negative and significant association between financial inclusion and energy poverty, bringing potential critical notes for Indonesia's policy formulation against energy poverty.

Urban Households’ Investment Behaviour Towards Home Appliances in India: Do Gender and Neighbourhood Effect Matter?

This study assesses the influence of women’s bargaining power and the peer or neighbourhood effect on urban households’ investment behaviour towards home appliances, specifically refrigerators and air conditioners. The impact of women’s bargaining power has been demonstrated in different domains, including household expenditure/investment decisions, technology and clean fuel adoption, children’s education, and so on. Since women primarily operate household appliances, for example, refrigerators, we argue that the former could impact investment decisions related to appliances. Additionally, we study the neighbourhood effect as the acquisition and choice of appliances, vehicles, and new technologies and the reduction of household energy consumption heavily rely on information from the neighbours. This communication dynamic reduces perceived social and technological uncertainties related to the product. Therefore, we hypothesise that household appliance ownership accelerates when there is increased use in the neighbourhood. Analysis based on data from the Indian Human Development Survey (IHDS, 2005 & 2012) shows that women’s education and property ownership are positively related to refrigerator and air conditioner ownership. The neighbourhood effects on the same have also been found to be positive and significant. This study, in sum, provides new insights into the factors that influence urban households’ investment behaviour towards appliances, and in terms of policy implications, these findings could be useful in the promotion of energy-efficient home appliances as we are aiming for net zero emission in the decades to come.

Working relationship between local fishermen and migrant fishermen in Palu Bay

This study aims to analyze: (1) Patterns of cooperation and profit sharing as a form of reciprocal relations between local fishermen and migrant fishermen, (2) The level of welfare of local fishermen as a consequence of these reciprocal relations. To answer this question, a study was held in Lere Village, Palu Bay. This research is qualitative with sampling techniques using Purposive sampling. Data collection was carried out with in-depth interviews and engaged observations and literature studies. Data analysis uses a three-step technique, namely data reduction, data categorization, conclusions. The results of this study are: (1) Patterns of cooperation and profit sharing as a form of reciprocal relations between local fishermen and migrant fishermen include: labor deployment, profit sharing rules, fish marketing with pattern rules. (2) The level of welfare of local fishermen as a consequence of mutual relations before cooperating and after cooperation includes: Ownership of more modern means of production, increased income, better home conditions, more varied ownership of household appliances, and ownership of more transportation facilities than before. The conclusion of this study is that the presence of migrant fishermen is very large for improving the welfare of local traditional fishermen in Palu bay

The Association of Financial Inclusion and Multidimensional Energy Poverty in Indonesia

Financial service could reduce household energy poverty through fund transfer to encourage the ability to access modern energy. This study investigate the role of financial inclusion on household energy poverty in Indonesia. The energy poverty variable is measured by using multidimensional approach with five dimensions and six indicators which are cooking fuels, indoor pollution, lighting, ownership of household appliances, and supporting equipment for basic services such as education, entertainment, and communication. Financial inclusion is measured by using multidimensional approach based on household accessibility to financial institution such as banking, credit, and insurance services. Linear Probability Model (LPM) and Probit model was used to investigate the association between financial inclusion and energy poverty. The result finds that financial inclusion has a negative association with household energy poverty. It implicates strategy for reduce energy poverty by increase financial access such as bank agents, especially in areas which far from banks.How to cite:Widyastuti, A. T., & Hartono, D. (2022). The Association of Financial Inclusion and Multidimensional Energy Poverty in Indonesia. Signifikan: Jurnal Ilmu Ekonomi, 11(2), 201-218. https://doi.org/10.15408/sjie.v11i2.26516.

The effect of time-saving household appliance ownership on outcomes for children and married women: evidence from India

Abstract We use microlevel data from the India Human Development Survey to test our hypothesis that ownership of time-saving household appliances results in the following: an increase in employment rates for married women; an increase in school enrollment rates; and a decrease in employment rates for children. We address the concern of endogeneity of appliance ownership by instrumenting household ownership of time-saving appliances by two family-specific time-using household assets and (1) average ownership rate among single women living in the same primary sampling unit (for the adult female sample) or (2) average ownership among households with no children living in the same primary sampling unit (for the child sample). Our results suggest a decrease in married women's and children's employment when ownership of time-saving appliances increases. Disaggregating our measure of employment, we find that married women use time-saving appliances as a substitute for human capital and increase their probability of working in more productive employment outside of the household.

Evaluation of the efficiency of Chinese energy-saving household appliance subsidy policy: An economic benefit perspective

China has made great efforts to control energy consumption and reduce environmental pressure in recent decades. In the residential sector, the dramatic increase in the ownership of household appliances has driven the growth of electricity consumption, which calls for effective energy-saving policies. In this study, we exemplified the sales of refrigerators in Beijing, aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of current subsidy policies for stimulating the purchase of energy-efficient household appliances. In specific, we first selected ten pairs of refrigerators from six brands having similar functions, however different in their energy efficiency grades (EEG). By applying a combination of net present value (NPV) difference method and Conversion Method of Electrical Engineering Coefficient, we calculated and compared the changes in the NPV difference and dynamic investment payback period (DIPP) to evaluate the effectiveness of the policy. The results revealed that economic benefits were mainly generated in EEG2; thereby we suggest that the government can cancel subsidies for EEG2 refrigerators, and increase the subsidy amount for EGG1 refrigerators at a potential rate of 24% in the future.

Multidimensional Energy Poverty and Mental Health: Micro-Level Evidence from Ghana.

Regardless of growing interest and awareness of the effect of energy poverty on mental health, studies on this linkage have mainly relied on unidimensional measures of energy poverty with much concentration on advanced economies. Employing a two-wave socioeconomic survey, we analyzed the impact of multidimensional energy poverty on mental health in Ghana. We found energy poverty to heighten the chances of being mentally unhealthy. Using prices of liquefied petroleum gas and electricity as instruments for multidimensional energy poverty, we found that a rise in energy deprivation is associated with a 0.562-, 1.494- and 1.867-fold increase in the odds of being mildly, moderately and severely depressed, respectively. Among the indicators of multidimensional energy poverty, a deprivation in household appliance ownership (refrigerator ownership), recorded the highest impact on the depression levels of household heads. We concluded by urging policymakers to adopt a holistic approach in solving issues of energy poverty where simultaneous attention is given to all the dimensions of energy poverty since they collectively have detrimental effects on mental health, especially in a developing country setting.

Income threshold, household appliance ownership and residential energy consumption in urban China

Income threshold, household appliance ownership and residential energy consumption in urban China

The changing profile of schistosomiasis in a changing urban landscape

Since 2007, most of humanity resides in urban areas, a trend which continues worldwide. Diseases usually associated with rural contexts are now emerging or newly recognised in cities. In the neighbourhood of São Bartolomeu in Salvador, Brazil, the prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni infection in 2011 was >20%. Following enrollment and treatment of a portion of the community, ~25% of the area underwent urban renewal. In 2015, we returned to enrol individuals who had previously participated and a cohort that had not taken part in 2011. Thus, infected individuals in one group experienced specific drug treatment plus improved living conditions and the second group only improved living conditions. Between 2011 and 2015 there were no organised treatment programs, but adequate sanitation increased from 69% to 92% coverage, household flooding decreased, and the presence of indoor toilets increased to 99% of households. Ownership of household appliances also increased significantly. The overall prevalence of schistosome infections was 6.2%. In 2015, the cohort first seen in 2011 had a higher prevalence (8.7%) than those first seen in 2015 (4.8%) and showed a few demographic differences. The 2011 cohort was older, more likely born in Salvador, less likely to have lived outside of Salvador, spent a greater percentage of their lifetime in Salvador, but more likely to have travelled. The population structure of the parasites from both cohorts underwent a marked change with similar increased component and infrapopulation differentiation and >10 fold decrease in effective population size. There was a 4–5 year shift in age-specific prevalence in 2015 for all compared with 2011. While praziquantel may have helped reduce prevalence, our evidence suggests that the structural changes and improvements in living conditions had the biggest impact on schistosomiasis in this community.

Energy related practices in Mediterranean low-income housing

ABSTRACTThe development of policies to improve energy efficiency and the retrofitting of the existing housing stock requires adequate knowledge of the operation in practice and user needs. This becomes crucial when intervening in social housing, where household energy practices are likely to be confounded by energy affordability leading to outcomes that are distinct and sub-optimal when compared to those conventionally assumed. A field survey and analyses applied to more than 700 homes from collective social housing buildings in the south of Spain is reported here. The results show a clear stratification of energy consumption and ownership of household appliances and thermal systems. An austere self-imposed use of energy appears, coupled with normative adoption of certain energy-efficient habits particularly with respect to laundry. An emergence of multimedia and computer equipment seems to be changing the overall balance of use of equipment in homes. A clear income level above which provision of thermal comfort using mechanical means became affordable was found. The work provides useful data of home habits and identifies the main underperformance issues of this representative household-group, what may feed the design of upgrade policies and optimization of energy access for this housing stock.

Household appliance ownership and income inequality: Evidence from micro data in China

As the residential sector is becoming increasingly important in the total energy consumption and appliance ownership is a significant but under-examined driver, this study investigates the relationship between income inequality and appliance ownership using panel data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). We find that income inequality has negative impacts on appliance penetration rate across specifications, except for the initial development stage. On average, households start adopting air conditioners at a threshold of over 60,000 (2011 RMB) based on annual income, much higher than TV, fridge and washer (8500–9000 RMB). The empirical results validate the S-shape curve of appliance established in the literature. To understand the magnitude of the impact and policy implications, we further simulate the impact of poverty alleviation and the penetration paths under inclusive versus exclusive income growth. Our results demonstrate that current poverty line is too low to achieve appliance adoption – a signal for modern life-styles. In addition, a more inclusive growth path could lead to much higher penetration for regions that have relatively low growth rate.

Discomfort and distress in slum rehabilitation: Investigating a rebound phenomenon using a backcasting approach

Slum rehabilitation policies in India is observed to have a rebound effect on the occupants, where rehabilitated occupants move back to the horizontal slums. In this study, we investigate the cause behind this rebound phenomenon based on a theory of homeostasis, where the loss of homeostasis refers to occupants' heightened discomfort and distress in their built environment. A novel methodological framework was developed to investigate it based on the principles of participatory backcasting approach and the theory of homeostasis. Thirty households in Mumbai's slum rehabilitation housing were interviewed to determine the social, economic and environmental cause of distress and discomfort. Granular information was obtained by further investigating the factors that influence occupants' attitude, emotions, health, control and habits in their built environment that regulates their holistic comfort and lack of stress. The causal linkages among these factors were established using a qualitative fault tree. Results show two primary cause of distress and discomfort in the study area owing to economic distress and built environment related discomfort. Economic distress was from low-income and high electricity bills due to higher household appliance ownership, and built environment discomfort was due to lack of social spaces and poor design of the slum rehabilitation housing. This study showed that mitigating such non-income drivers of distress and discomfort can prevent rebound phenomenon and improve the sustainability of the slum rehabilitation process.

Socioeconomic status and the association between arsenic exposure and type 2 diabetes

ObjectiveEvaluate whether arsenic-related diabetes risks differ between people of low and high socioeconomic status (SES). MethodsWe used data collected between October 2007-December 2010 from a population-based cancer case-control study (N = 1301) in Northern Chile, an area with high arsenic water concentrations (>800 µg/L) and comprehensive records of past exposure. Information on lifetime exposure and potential confounders were obtained using structured interviews, questionnaires, and residential histories. Type 2 diabetes was defined as physician-diagnosed diabetes or oral hypoglycemic medication use. SES was measured using a 14-point scale based on ownership of household appliances, cars, internet access, or use of domestic help. Logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between arsenic and diabetes within strata of SES. ResultsAmong those with low SES, the odds ratio (OR) for diabetes comparing individuals in the highest to lowest tertile of lifetime average arsenic exposure was 2.12 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.29–3.49, p = 0.004). However, those in the high SES group were not at increased risk (OR = 1.12 [95% CI = 0.72–1.73]). ConclusionsOur findings provide evidence that risks of arsenic-related diabetes may be higher in Chile in people with low versus high SES.

Assessing Households’ Gas and Electricity Consumption: A Case Study of Djelfa, Algeria

Abstract Households are the major energy consumer and contributor to the emission of greenhouse gases. The Algerian policy of mastering energy has improved building energy efficiency since 1994 by introducing thermal regulation (DTR). However, energy consumption is still increasing instead of decreasing, which is mainly due to occupants’ behaviour which is difficult to estimate and predict. This paper explores the impact of households and housing characteristics on residential gas and electricity consumption in the 36 municipalities of the department of Djelfa (Algeria) which is located in an arid and semi-arid climate zone. This paper is based on GIS and statistical techniques. It considers the yearly gas and electricity energy consumption (2013) of the municipalities of the department of Djelfa. The method is organised in four steps: (a) a multiple linear regression is used to construct two estimative models of gas and electricity. The models have more than 93% of accuracy for both gas and electricity models; (b) estimating gas and electricity consumption for 2008 according to the developed models; (c) organisation of the census data of 2008 in five dimensions: the population distribution, household characteristics, housing type and occupancy, and finally household appliance ownership; (d) a set of sensitivity analysis is performed based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Pearson’s bivariate correlation and finally a path analysis is performed based on Structural Equation Model (SEM) to assess the importance of each variable. The overall impact of all these variables indicates that increasing the household size is the first factor reducing the electricity and gas consumption followed by the housing surface, density, room occupancy, and older households, while increasing the education level and appliance ownership boosts both per-capita gas and electricity consumption.

Household appliances penetration and ownership trends in residential buildings

Understanding the development of the trends in the ownership of different appliances in a historic context in various countries of the world can not only provide important insights for understanding the dynamics of adoption of different appliances, but can also help with foresight: how the future may develop for these or other, new appliances on the market. Although available literature in household appliances energy consumption, energy management and energy efficiency has seen some advances, there is a clear lack in the literature on household appliance ownership. In this paper, historic data is gathered and analysed for several groups of appliance types (white appliances, brown appliances and small appliances) for 12 countries representing four continents, when available since 1970 to date. Countries representing different parts of the world were selected to present an overview on household appliances ownership and energy consumption. One of the first conclusions of the study is that there is little or no information in many countries from South America, Africa or South Asia. Refrigerators, freezers and washing machines ownership are an example of most other white goods. Brown goods appeared in the market at very different time, depending on each one (from the 70s to the late 90s) and their ownership growth is much higher than for the previous ones. Most of small line appliances ownership has not reached saturation yet.

Factors associated with vaccination coverage in children < 5 years in Angola.

OBJECTIVETo analyze vaccination coverage and factors associated with a complete immunization scheme in children < 5 years old.METHODSThis cross-sectional household census survey evaluated 1,209 children < 5 years old living in Bom Jesus, Angola, in 2010. Data were obtained from interviews, questionnaires, child immunization histories, and maternal health histories. The statistical analysis used generalized linear models, in which the dependent variable followed a binary distribution (vaccinated, unvaccinated) and the association function was logarithmic and had the children’s individual, familial, and socioeconomic factors as independent variables.RESULTSVaccination coverage was 37.0%, higher in children < 1 year (55.0%) and heterogeneous across neighborhoods; 52.0% of children of both sexes had no immunization records. The prevalence rate of vaccination significantly varied according to child age, mother’s level of education, family size, ownership of household appliances, and destination of domestic waste.CONCLUSIONSVulnerable groups with vaccination coverage below recommended levels continue to be present. Some factors indicate inequalities that represent barriers to full immunization, indicating the need to implement more equitable policies. The knowledge of these factors contributes to planning immunization promotion measures that focus on the most vulnerable groups.

Health and living conditions of Palestinian refugees residing in camps and gatherings in Lebanon: a cross-sectional survey

Background Palestinian refugees have lived in camps and gatherings in Lebanon for more than 60 years. They are socially, politically, and economically disadvantaged as a result of discriminatory laws and decades of marginalisation, as shown by the absence of property rights and being banned from more than 30 occupations. In Palestinian refugee camps and gatherings, the provision of housing, water, electricity, refuse, and other services are inadequate and contribute to poor health. The association between physical and mental health and living conditions of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon was assessed. Methods A cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of Palestinian refugees living in all the camps and gatherings in Lebanon was done with multistage cluster sampling during July and August, 2010. Within clusters, households were selected with a random-walk algorithm from a sampling frame provided by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Trained Palestinian social workers interviewed a proxy respondent (generally the female homemaker) from each household face to face using a structured questionnaire. Respondents answered questions about the health and sociodemographics of all household members, housing conditions, and household expenditures and assets (including the ownership of household appliances). The questionnaire included housing indicators for water leakage and type of construction materials. Health was assessed with household reports of chronic and acute illnesses, and mental health of the respondent was assessed with the five-item mental health inventory. Logistic regression models were used to analyse the association between chronic or mental health problems and housing conditions; other covariates were controlled for. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the American University of Beirut. Informed oral consent was obtained from proxy respondents. Findings A total of 2575 households were randomly selected from a sampling frame and 2501 (97%) responded to the survey. An estimated 31% of 11 092 individuals surveyed had had chronic illnesses and 24% had had acute illnesses in the 6 months before the survey. 82% of 2501 proxy respondents were women; 52% of respondents reported chronic illness, 28% reported acute illness, and 55% were psychologically distressed. 42% of dwellings had water leaking from the roof or walls and 8% were composed of building materials that are dangerous to health (eg, asbestos). Multivariate analysis of predictors of chronic illness showed that the prevalence of chronic illnesses was significantly positively correlated with water leakage (odds ratio 1·24; 95% CI 1·04–1·48) and negatively correlated with household assets (0·85; 0·79–0·91), supporting the link between poverty and health in these communities. Respondents with poor mental health were more likely than were those with good mental health to live in crowded households (1·46; 1·27–1·67), reside in homes with water leakage (1·36; 1·14–1·62), report having chronic (1·98; 1·55–2·48) and acute illnesses (1·31; 1·02–1·68), and have fewer household assets (0·88; 0·84–0·94). Interpretation Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon struggle with poor health, which is exacerbated by substandard housing and other forms of social and economic marginalisation. Initiatives to improve their housing and economic conditions are needed. Additionally, the increased efforts to assess the social roots of poor physical and mental health and develop appropriate interventions are timely. Funding European Union.

Attitudes of Cypriot consumers on the ownership of household appliances: the case of the city of Limassol

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to analyse the factors affecting consumers' preferences towards the ownership of household appliances. The study is based on 186 survey responses from Cypriot households, and they are analysed econometrically using regression techniques. The analysis is based on a theoretical framework, which takes into account both demographic and economic factors behind households' preference to energy‐efficient appliances. The results show that consumers that buy energy‐efficient appliances are highly educated and women. Household income is not a statistically significant variable of the probability to choose an appliance based on its energy efficiency characteristics. On the contrary, income and number of persons per household affect the number of appliances that consumers own.

The Geography of an American Icon: An Analysis of the Circulation of the Saturday Evening Post, 1911–1944

This article argues that regional variations in audiences have played an important and generally unexplored role in journalism history. Its geographic analysis of the reading patterns of the Saturday Evening Post in 1911, 1920, 1928, 1935, and 1944 finds strong areas of readership in the Western United States and low readership in the South. The pattern of the Post closely resembles that of another Curtis Publishing Company magazine, the Ladies' Home Journal, during a similar time period. Post readership also showed a correlation with such demographic areas as literacy rates, race, family size, income, and ownership of household appliances. The article argues that a consistent geographic and demographic pattern of readership over more than three decades suggests a deeper, more complex relationship between the Post and its audience than one created solely by editorial content. It reinforces the idea of Post readers as well-to-do white urbanites. Yet it shows that Post readership was far more complex than the notion that “everybody read the Post” (a common implication through the years). The circulation distribution of the Post was indeed mass in number, but with many regional variations.

Modeling diffusion of electrical appliances in the residential sector

This paper presents a methodology for modeling residential appliance uptake as a function of root macroeconomic drivers. The analysis concentrates on four major energy end uses in the residential sector: refrigerators, washing machines, televisions and air conditioners. The model employs linear regression analysis to parameterize appliance ownership in terms of household income, urbanization and electrification rates according to a standard binary choice (logistic) function. The underlying household appliance ownership data are gathered from a variety of sources including energy consumption and more general standard of living surveys. These data span a wide range of countries, including many developing countries for which appliance ownership is currently low, but likely to grow significantly over the next decades as a result of economic development. The result is a ‘global’ parameterization of appliance ownership rates as a function of widely available macroeconomic variables for the four appliances studied, which provides a reliable basis for interpolation where data are not available, and forecasting of ownership rates on a global scale. The main value of this method is to form the foundation of bottom-up energy demand forecasts, project energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, and allow for the construction of detailed emissions mitigation scenarios.