Do socioeconomic factors determine household multidimensional energy poverty? Empirical evidence from South Asia

This paper examines the socioeconomic factors of energy poverty at the household level using a dataset of 674,834 households from six South Asian countries. An adjusted multidimensional energy poverty index (MEPI) is used to measure the extent and depth of energy poverty, and a Tobit model is employed to examine the significance of socioeconomic status for multidimensional energy poverty. An ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model is compared with the results of the Tobit model, using the combined dataset and the datasets for each country separately. House size, household wealth, education, occupation (clerical, sales, or agricultural), and gender of the head of the households are significant negative socioeconomic determinants of household multidimensional energy poverty. Place of residence, house ownership status, family size, and the age of the primary breadwinner play a significant positive role in multidimensional energy poverty. These results suggest that effective policy measures for improving the socioeconomic status of households will mitigate multidimensional energy poverty. With implications for the design and implementation of policy, the evidence-based results of this study will contribute to reducing the detrimental impacts of multidimensional energy poverty nationally, regionally, and globally.