Energy Poverty

Definitions of Energy Poverty

Definition from Practical Action

Un hogar es definido como energéticamente pobre si no tiene acceso a por lo menos un equivalente de 35kg de LPG por persona por año de combustible liquido o gas, o no cuentan con un sistema mejorado de cocina con biomasa; y accede a por lo menos 120kWh de electricidad por persona por año para alumbrado y para actividades sociales y productivas.

Un sistema mejorado de cocina debe cumplir con las siguientes características

i) Los usuarios emplean menos de 4 horas por semana para recolectarlo,

ii) Cumple con las recomendaciones de OMS (Organismo Mundial de la Salud) sobre calidad de aire, esto es una concentración de CO de 30mg/M3 para periodos de 1 hora o menos y menos que 10mg/m3 para periodos de exposición de máximo 8 horas

iii) tiene una eficiencia total mayor o igual que 25%.

Development of an Energy Poverty Line

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

By: 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.

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