Essays on household energy poverty, energy transition, and women bargaining power in South Afric

Abstract

This thesis examined the shift of South African homes to various energy sources, emphasizing the relationship between income levels, women’s roles in decision-making, social grants, and energy selection. Herein, data from the National Income Dynamics Study (2008–2017) were examined to elucidate the impacts of socioeconomic factors on clean energy uptake and the transition from conventional fuels. The initial study examined the influence of income levels on sustainable energy adoption using a dynamic panel threshold model, considering the notable disparities between urban and rural households. In urban homes, electricity expenditure markedly rises when income exceeds R417 ($22) per month. Conversely, there is no effect for rural households electricity expenditure above the threshold of R372 ($20) per month. Herein, numerous households found it challenging to purchase clean energy, suggesting that their resources are frequently allocated to other vital necessities. The second study used multinomial logit analysis to investigate the impacts of women’s decision-making authority on energy choices. It determined that enhanced bargaining power elevated the probability of selecting electricity for cooking by 6.8% and heating by 4.6%, relative to conventional fuels. In addition, no significant impacts were observed for lighting preferences. Moreover, a negative link exists between women’s negotiating power and the utilization of gas and paraffin stoves, suggesting a preference for electric alternatives. The third study evaluated the effects of the old-age pension on energy poverty using a regression discontinuity approach. Pension eligibility decreases energy poverty by vi approximately four percentage points, with varying impacts according to location. Urban regions experienced a considerable decline of 10 percentage points, whereas the rural areas demonstrated no substantial variations, which were determined via multiple statistical techniques. This research substantially improves our understanding of household energy transitions and provide essential academic and policy discourse insights. Moreover, it elucidates that income intricately and context-specifically affects energy decisions, accentuates women’s negotiating power in clean energy adoption, and indicates that social grants can significantly alleviate energy poverty. The results highlight the necessity for customized energy policies that account for urban-rural disparities, enhance women's decision-making authority, and utilize social transfers in conjunction with infrastructure advancements, stressing the significance of geographic and demographic elements in formulating effective energy transition strategies for developing nations.