Energy access and household risk transitions in South Africa

Despite the commendable success in household electrification, energy poverty is still a challenge in South Africa [1], with many residents of low-income settlements unable either to afford or to access modern energy carriers. Energy related accidents such as shack fires and paraffin poisonings are a common phenomenon amongst poor communities, resulting in health and economic losses. This paper reports on two research projects that studied environmental risk transitions vis-à-vis energy poverty and the progress made in promoting modern energy access in South Africa. In the first project, the premise that energy poverty is a major determinant of energy incidents is tested with nationally representative household energy consumption surveys and hospital treatment data through quantitative analysis. The second project evaluated the impacts of an LPG intervention programme as a proxy for progress in modern energy access. Results indicate a positive non-linear relationship between poverty on one hand and the risk of injury from household energy use. The apparent household risk is generally much larger amongst nonelectrified households, especially those using a combination of paraffin and candles. Results show that access to LPG reduces energy expenditure and improves overall wellbeing of households. Policy interventions arising from these findings include a need for promotion of programmes that raise awareness of domestic energy safety issues within vulnerable communities, and national energy interventions to substitute paraffin with cleaner safer modern fuels.