IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v82y2015icp197-206.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Social norms, trust and control of power theft in Uganda: Does bulk metering work for MSEs?

Author

Listed:
  • Never, Babette

Abstract

Power theft is still rampant in many developing countries. Governments and utility providers tend to favor technical solutions, neglecting the socio-economic dimension. This article analyzes the interaction between the socio-economic factors trust, informal social norms, awareness and electricity pricing effect and technical control measures in Uganda. After reforming its power sector, Uganda introduced two technical innovations: bulk metering for micro and small enterprises (MSE) and prepaid metering for households. The bulk metering system imposes a strong form of social control among MSEs. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 29 MSEs and 16 experts in Uganda, this article shows how well bulk metering works in practice. It finds that trust is key in the relations between electricity user and utility provider, between citizens and government overseeing the energy sector as well as within bulk metering groups of MSEs. The electricity price impacts MSEs' ability to pay and to some extent also their willingness to pay. Finally, power theft used to be accepted as an informal social norm. Change is happening, but is currently undermined by corruption and patronage networks in the energy sector and the political system, impacting people's attitude to compliance – regardless of the privatization of the electricity sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Never, Babette, 2015. "Social norms, trust and control of power theft in Uganda: Does bulk metering work for MSEs?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 197-206.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:82:y:2015:i:c:p:197-206
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2015.03.020
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421515001263
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2015.03.020?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Odd-Helge Fjeldstad, 2003. "What has trust got to do with it? Non-payment of service charges in local authorities in South Africa," CMI Working Papers WP 2003:12, CMI (Chr. Michelsen Institute), Bergen, Norway.
    2. Depuru, Soma Shekara Sreenadh Reddy & Wang, Lingfeng & Devabhaktuni, Vijay, 2011. "Electricity theft: Overview, issues, prevention and a smart meter based approach to control theft," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 1007-1015, February.
    3. Dal Bo, Ernesto & Rossi, Martin A., 2007. "Corruption and inefficiency: Theory and evidence from electric utilities," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(5-6), pages 939-962, June.
    4. Lambright, Gina M. S., 2012. "Opposition Politics and Urban Service Delivery in Kampala, Uganda," WIDER Working Paper Series 051, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    5. Clarke, George R. G. & Xu, Lixin Colin, 2004. "Privatization, competition, and corruption: how characteristics of bribe takers and payers affect bribes to utilities," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(9-10), pages 2067-2097, August.
    6. Smith, Thomas B., 2004. "Electricity theft: a comparative analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(18), pages 2067-2076, December.
    7. repec:unu:wpaper:wp2012-51 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Fankhauser, Samuel & Tepic, Sladjana, 2007. "Can poor consumers pay for energy and water? An affordability analysis for transition countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 1038-1049, February.
    9. Never, Babette, 2014. "Making energy efficiency pro-poor: insights from behavioural economics for policy design," IDOS Discussion Papers 11/2014, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    10. Winkler, Harald & Simões, André Felipe & Rovere, Emilio Lèbre la & Alam, Mozaharul & Rahman, Atiq & Mwakasonda, Stanford, 2011. "Access and Affordability of Electricity in Developing Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 1037-1050, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Savian, Fernando de Souza & Siluk, Julio Cezar Mairesse & Garlet, Taís Bisognin & do Nascimento, Felipe Moraes & Pinheiro, José Renes & Vale, Zita, 2021. "Non-technical losses: A systematic contemporary article review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    2. Wong, Jason Chun Yu & Blankenship, Brian & Urpelainen, Johannes & Ganesan, Karthik & Bharadwaj, Kapardhi & Balani, Kanika, 2021. "Perceptions and acceptability of electricity theft: Towards better public service provision," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    3. Rajeev K. Goel & Ummad Mazhar & Rati Ram, 2022. "Informal competition and firm performance: Impacts on input‐ versus output performance," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(2), pages 418-430, March.
    4. Fernando de Souza Savian & Julio Cezar Mairesse Siluk & Tai s Bisognin Garlet & Felipe Moraes do Nascimento & Jose Renes Pinheiro & Zita Vale, 2022. "Non-technical Losses in Brazil: Overview, Challenges, and Directions for Identification and Mitigation," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 12(3), pages 93-107, May.
    5. Adongo, Charles Atanga & Taale, Francis & Bukari, Shaibu & Suleman, Shafic & Amadu, Iddrisu, 2021. "Electricity theft whistleblowing feasibility in commercial accommodation facilities," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    6. Babette Never, 2023. "Green and Social Regulation of Second Hand Appliance Markets: the Case of Air Conditioners in the Philippines," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 3(2), pages 791-810, June.
    7. Rubanda, Muhumuza Ezra & Senyonga, Livingstone & Ngoma, Mohammed & Adaramola, Muyiwa S., 2023. "Energy market integration: Harmonizing tariff recourse policies in East Africa," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    8. Wabukala, Benard M. & Mukisa, Nicholas & Watundu, Susan & Bergland, Olvar & Rudaheranwa, Nichodemus & Adaramola, Muyiwa S., 2023. "Impact of household electricity theft and unaffordability on electricity security: A case of Uganda," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    9. Viegas, Joaquim L. & Esteves, Paulo R. & Melício, R. & Mendes, V.M.F. & Vieira, Susana M., 2017. "Solutions for detection of non-technical losses in the electricity grid: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 1256-1268.
    10. Telles Esteves, Gheisa Roberta & Cyrino Oliveira, Fernando Luiz & Antunes, Carlos Henggeler & Souza, Reinaldo Castro, 2016. "An overview of electricity prepayment experiences and the Brazilian new regulatory framework," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 704-722.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jamil, Faisal, 2013. "On the electricity shortage, price and electricity theft nexus," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 267-272.
    2. Darragh Carr & Murray Thomson, 2022. "Non-Technical Electricity Losses," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-14, March.
    3. Jamil, Faisal, 2018. "Electricity theft among residential consumers in Rawalpindi and Islamabad," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 147-154.
    4. Mazur, Christoph & Hoegerle, Yannick & Brucoli, Maria & van Dam, Koen & Guo, Miao & Markides, Christos N. & Shah, Nilay, 2019. "A holistic resilience framework development for rural power systems in emerging economies," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 235(C), pages 219-232.
    5. Jamil, Faisal & Ahmad, Eatzaz, 2019. "Policy considerations for limiting electricity theft in the developing countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 452-458.
    6. Pless, Jacquelyn & Fell, Harrison, 2017. "Bribes, bureaucracies, and blackouts: Towards understanding how corruption at the firm level impacts electricity reliability," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 36-55.
    7. Faisal Jamil & Eatzaz Ahmad, 2014. "An Empirical Study of Electricity Theft from Electricity Distribution Companies in Pakistan," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 53(3), pages 239-254.
    8. Faisal Jamil & Eatzaz Ahmad, 2013. "An Economic Investigation of Corruption and Electricity Theft," Working Papers id:5372, eSocialSciences.
    9. Babar, Zainab & Jamil, Faisal & Haq, Wajiha, 2022. "Consumer's perception towards electricity theft: A case study of Islamabad and Rawalpindi using a path analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    10. Imam, M. & Jamasb, T. & Llorca, M. & Llorca, M., 2018. "Power Sector Reform and Corruption: Evidence from Electricity Industry in Sub-Saharan Africa," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 1801, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    11. Costa-Campi, Maria Teresa & Daví-Arderius, Daniel & Trujillo-Baute, Elisa, 2018. "The economic impact of electricity losses," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 309-322.
    12. Liam Wren-Lewis, 2015. "Do Infrastructure Reforms Reduce the Effect of Corruption? Theory and Evidence from Latin America and the Caribbean," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 29(2), pages 353-384.
    13. Rains, Emily & Abraham, Ronald J., 2018. "Rethinking barriers to electrification: Does government collection failure stunt public service provision?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 288-300.
    14. Adwoa Asantewaa & Tooraj Jamasb & Manuel Llorca, 2022. "Electricity Sector Reform Performance in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Parametric Distance Function Approach," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-29, March.
    15. Ejaz Gul & Imran Sharif Chaudhry, 2016. "Socio-Economic Analysis of Household Energy Security: Evidence from 3D Energy Losses Surface Maps (ELSMs)of a Town Using Conjuncture of Factors Matrix, Digital and Mathematical Analysis," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 55(4), pages 1019-1041.
    16. Imam, Mahmud I. & Jamasb, Tooraj & Llorca, Manuel, 2019. "Sector reforms and institutional corruption: Evidence from electricity industry in Sub-Saharan Africa," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 532-545.
    17. Randrianarisoa, Laingo Manitra & Bolduc, Denis & Choo, Yap Yin & Oum, Tae Hoon & Yan, Jia, 2015. "Effects of corruption on efficiency of the European airports," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 65-83.
    18. Luis Alberto Andrés & José Luis Guasch & Sebastián López Azumendi, 2011. "Regulation and Corporate Governance of State-owned Enterprises: Issues for Improved Efficiency and Competitiveness and Lessons for China," Chapters, in: Michael Faure & Xinzhu Zhang (ed.), Competition Policy and Regulation, chapter 7, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    19. Furszyfer Del Rio, Dylan D. & Sovacool, Benjamin K., 2023. "Of cooks, crooks and slum-dwellers: Exploring the lived experience of energy and mobility poverty in Mexico's informal settlements," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    20. Daniel Leite & José Pessanha & Paulo Simões & Rodrigo Calili & Reinaldo Souza, 2020. "A Stochastic Frontier Model for Definition of Non-Technical Loss Targets," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-20, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:82:y:2015:i:c:p:197-206. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.