Something to buy paraffin with: an investigation into domestic energy consumption in rural Kenya

Thesis/Dissertation · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6062532

Hosier, R H

Recently, two government agencies have surveyed energy consumption in Kenya. These two studies yielded conflicting results, necessitating that a third, more carefully conducted survey be used as the basis for this study. The survey instrument used was designed by the author and included questions regarding the types and quantities of fuels used, income information, and demographic data; 572 households were surveyed. The results are first aggregated by ecological zone and compared with the responses of the same households from the 1979 energy survey. Two findings emerge. First, wood consumption is lower in the high and medium potential lands. Fuelwood scarcity appears to be caused by high population density, not low ecological potential. Second, consumption of fuelwood and paraffin (i.e., kerosene) has decreased significantly over the past two years, due mainly to the increased price of the latter and the increased scarcity of the former. Next, the survey results are analyzed by way of a farm-type classification system which classifies the respondents into five groups: non-surplus farmers, surplus farmers, cash-surplus farmers, cash crop farmers, and wage workers. Finally, the analysis takes a relational perspective relying upon regression analysis. Income serves as a determinant of kerosene consumption, but not of fuelwood consumption.

• OSTI ID: 6062532
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290200 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Economics & Sociology
298000* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Consumption & Utilization
AFRICA
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
ENERGY SOURCES
FUELS
HUMAN POPULATIONS
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
KENYA
KEROSENE
LIQUID FUELS
MATHEMATICS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
POPULATIONS
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
RURAL POPULATIONS
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
STATISTICS
WOOD FUELS