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Energy access, efficiency, and poverty : how many households are energy poor in Bangladesh ?

Author

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  • Barnes, Douglas F.
  • Khandker, Shahidur R.
  • Samad, Hussain A.

Abstract

Access to energy, especially modern sources, is a key to any development initiative. Based on cross-section data from a 2004 survey of some 2,300 households in rural Bangladesh, this paper studies the welfare impacts of household energy use, including that of modern energy, and estimates the household minimum energy requirement that could be used as a basis for an energy poverty line. The paper finds that although the use of both traditional (biomass energy burned in conventional stoves) and modern (electricity and kerosene) sources improves household consumption and income, the return on modern sources is 20 to 25 times higher than that on traditional sources. In addition, after comparing alternate measures of the energy poverty line, the paper finds that some 58 percent of rural households in Bangladesh are energy poor, compared with 45 percent that are income poor. The findings suggest that growth in electrification and adoption of efficient cooking stoves for biomass use can lower energy poverty in a climate-friendly way by reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Reducing energy poverty helps reduce income poverty as well.

Suggested Citation

  • Barnes, Douglas F. & Khandker, Shahidur R. & Samad, Hussain A., 2010. "Energy access, efficiency, and poverty : how many households are energy poor in Bangladesh ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5332, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:5332
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Pachauri, Shonali & Spreng, Daniel, 2011. "Measuring and monitoring energy poverty," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(12), pages 7497-7504.
    2. Rowlands, Ian, 2011. "Co-impacts of energy-related climate change mitigation in Africa’s least developed countries: the evidence base and research needs," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 37575, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    3. Khandker, Shahidur R. & Barnes, Douglas F. & Samad, Hussain A., 2012. "Are the energy poor also income poor? Evidence from India," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 1-12.
    4. Khandker, Shahidur R. & Barnes, Douglas F. & Samad, Hussain A., 2010. "Energy poverty in rural and urban India : are the energy poor also income poor ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5463, The World Bank.
    5. Sovacool, Benjamin K. & Ryan, Sarah E., 2016. "The geography of energy and education: Leaders, laggards, and lessons for achieving primary and secondary school electrification," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 107-123.
    6. Rafał Nagaj, 2022. "Macroeconomic Policy versus Fuel Poverty in Poland—Support or Barrier," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-22, June.
    7. Sovacool, Benjamin K. & Drupady, Ira Martina, 2011. "Summoning earth and fire: The energy development implications of Grameen Shakti (GS) in Bangladesh," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(7), pages 4445-4459.
    8. Sambodo, Maxensius Tri & Novandra, Rio, 2019. "The state of energy poverty in Indonesia and its impact on welfare," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 113-121.
    9. Fidelis O. Ogwumike & Uchechukwu M. Ozughalu & Gabriel A. Abiona, 2014. "Household Energy Use and Determinants: Evidence from Nigeria," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 4(2), pages 248-262.
    10. Ian Rowlands, 2011. "Ancillary impacts of energy-related climate change mitigation options in Africa’s least developed countries," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 16(7), pages 749-773, October.
    11. Omowunmi Mary Longe & Khmaies Ouahada, 2018. "Mitigating Household Energy Poverty through Energy Expenditure Affordability Algorithm in a Smart Grid," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-17, April.
    12. Sovacool, Benjamin K. & Mukherjee, Ishani & Drupady, Ira Martina & D’Agostino, Anthony L., 2011. "Evaluating energy security performance from 1990 to 2010 for eighteen countries," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(10), pages 5846-5853.
    13. Robyn Meeks & Katharine R. E. Sims & Hope Thompson, 2019. "Waste Not: Can Household Biogas Deliver Sustainable Development?," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 72(3), pages 763-794, March.
    14. Takama, Takeshi & Tsephel, Stanzin & Johnson, Francis X., 2012. "Evaluating the relative strength of product-specific factors in fuel switching and stove choice decisions in Ethiopia. A discrete choice model of household preferences for clean cooking alternatives," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 1763-1773.
    15. Ian H. Rowlands, 2011. "Co-impacts of energy-related climate change mitigation in Africa�s least developed countries: the evidence base and research needs," GRI Working Papers 39, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
    16. Uche M. Ozughalu & Fidelis O. Ogwumike, 2019. "Extreme Energy Poverty Incidence and Determinants in Nigeria: A Multidimensional Approach," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 142(3), pages 997-1014, April.
    17. Tao, Miaomiao & Lin, Boqiang & Poletti, Stephen & Pan, Addison, 2024. "Can financial literacy Ease energy poverty? Some Lessons at the household level in China," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    18. Adusah-Poku, Frank & Takeuchi, Kenji, 2019. "Energy poverty in Ghana: Any progress so far?," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 853-864.
    19. Bekhzod Kuziboev & Jaroslav Vlach & Alibek Rajabov & Ergash Ibadullaev & Umidjon Matyakubov & Murod Nazarov & Mokhirakhon Mirkhoshimova, 2024. "Quantile and Threshold Effect of Electricity Consumption on Happiness in Central Asia," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 14(1), pages 321-328, January.
    20. Bhanot, Jaya & Jha, Vivek, 2012. "Moving towards tangible decision-making tools for policy makers: Measuring and monitoring energy access provision," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(S1), pages 64-70.
    21. Iyabo Adeola Olanrele, 2020. "Assessing the Effects of Rural Electrification on Household Welfare in Nigeria," Journal of Infrastructure Development, India Development Foundation, vol. 12(1), pages 7-24, June.
    22. Rus’an Nasrudin & Qisha Quarina & Teguh Dartanto, 2022. "Revisiting the Energy-Happiness Paradox: A Quasi-Experimental Evidence of Electricity Access in Indonesia," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(7), pages 3549-3576, October.
    23. Frank Adusah‐Poku & Kwame Adjei‐Mantey & Paul A. Kwakwa, 2021. "Are energy‐poor households also poor? Evidence from Ghana," Poverty & Public Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 13(1), pages 32-58, March.

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