Who Uses Electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa? Findings from Household Surveys
Analysis of household expenditure surveys since 2008 in 22 Sub-Saharan African countries shows that one-third of all people use electricity. As expected, users are disproportionately urban and rich. In communities with access to electricity, lack o...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2016
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/08/26676887/uses-electricity-sub-saharan-africa-findings-household-surveys http://hdl.handle.net/10986/25029 |
| Summary: | Analysis of household expenditure
surveys since 2008 in 22 Sub-Saharan African countries shows
that one-third of all people use electricity. As expected,
users are disproportionately urban and rich. In communities
with access to electricity, lack of affordability is the
greatest barrier to household connection. Lifeline rates
enabling the poor to use grid electricity vary in
availability, with six countries allowing 30 kilowatt-hours
or less of electricity usage a month at low prices.
Affordability challenges are aggravated by sharing of meters
by several households -- denying them access to lifeline
rates -- and high connection costs in many countries, made
worse by demands from utility staff for bribes in some
countries. Collection of detailed information on residential
schedules enabled calculation of the percentage of total
household expenditures needed for electricity at the
subsistence and other levels. Affordability varied across
countries, with grid electricity even at the subsistence
level being out of reach for the poor in half the countries
and even more so once connection charges are considered.
Examination of the gender of the head of household shows
that female-headed households are not disadvantaged in
electricity use once income and the place of residence
(urban or rural) are taken into account. However,
female-headed households tend to be poorer, making it all
the more important to focus on helping the poor for the goal
of achieving universal access. Installing individual meters
and subsidizing installation, encouraging prepaid metering
so as to avoid disconnection and reconnection charges,
reformulating lifeline blocks and rates as appropriate, and
stamping out corruption to eliminate bribe-taking can all
help the poor. |
|---|