Energy subsidies and costs in urban Ethiopia: The cases of kerosene and electricity

Kebede, Bereket ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4163-6614 (2006) Energy subsidies and costs in urban Ethiopia: The cases of kerosene and electricity. Renewable Energy, 31 (13). pp. 2140-2151.

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Abstract

Making energy affordable to the poor is a widely cited reason for subsidies. Whether subsidies achieve this objective is rarely analysed. In this article, the significance of kerosene and electricity subsidies in relation to the purchasing power of Ethiopian urban households is examined. The results indicate that subsidies on kerosene prices and electricity tariffs do not significantly change the overall costs for households. Even poor households on the average have the purchasing power to access unsubsidised kerosene. The overall costs—including fixed costs—of accessing electricity are very high relative to purchasing power even for the well to do urban households if down payments are made. But when costs are spread over the lifespan of fixed components, even the average poor have the purchasing power to access electricity. These results underscore the importance of a mechanism that spreads fixed costs over longer periods of time. Spreading fixed costs over electricity bills and providing credit facilities are two options that can ameliorate the condition.

Item Type: Article
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Global Development (formerly School of International Development)
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Centres > Centre for Behavioural and Experimental Social Sciences
Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Experimental Economics (former - to 2017)
Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Gender and Development
Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Impact Evaluation
Depositing User: Bereket Kebede
Date Deposited: 08 Apr 2011 11:56
Last Modified: 06 Sep 2023 12:30
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/28649
DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2005.10.005

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