Implications of Alleviating Unreliable Electricity Supply for Energy Poverty

The study finds that excluding 'extra electricity costs'—expenses for voltage stabilizers, generators, and alternative energy sources—significantly understates energy poverty in Benin. While 51% of connected households are energy poor based on electricity bills alone, this figure rises to 72% when defensive expenditures are included. Power generator operation is the largest cost driver, accounting for 46% of total extra electricity costs. Key determinants of energy poverty include low household wealth, lack of tertiary education, and the use of electricity for economic activities.

• Traditional energy poverty metrics that only consider electricity bills significantly underestimate the problem in Benin; 51% of connected households are energy poor by this measure, but 72% are energy poor when extra costs for defensive measures are included.
• Defensive expenditures—costs for voltage stabilizers, generators, and alternative energy sources—represent a substantial financial burden, averaging 38% of total electricity expenditure for connected households.
• The operation of power generators is the primary driver of extra electricity costs, accounting for 46% of these expenses, with monthly operating costs averaging FCFA 11,258 (USD 19).
• Alternative energy sources used during blackouts (such as torches, kerosene, and solar energy) are the second largest contributor to extra costs, representing 28% of the total.
• Household wealth and education are significant determinants of energy poverty; rich households and those with tertiary education are notably less likely to be energy poor.
• Using electricity for economic activities increases the likelihood of energy poverty, with such households being 17% to 18% more likely to be energy poor under POV1 and POV3 metrics.
• The use of power generators significantly increases the probability of energy poverty, specifically for metrics that include extra costs (POV2 and POV3), increasing the likelihood by 33% and 16% respectively.
• Home ownership is associated with a higher likelihood of energy poverty, with owners approximately 11% more prone to the burden than tenants, likely due to higher electricity consumption in houses compared to apartments.

APA

Dato, P., Hekponhoue, S., Lawson, L., Mukhaya, B., & Okyere, M. A. (2025). Implications of Alleviating Unreliable Electricity Supply for Energy Poverty. Clean Air Task Force. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/27142835/benin-household-energy-poverty-report.pdf

Chicago

Dato, Prudence, Sylvain Hekponhoue, Laté Lawson, Brian Mukhaya, and Michael Adu Okyere. Implications of Alleviating Unreliable Electricity Supply for Energy Poverty. Clean Air Task Force, 2025. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/27142835/benin-household-energy-poverty-report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dato |first1=Prudence |last2=Hekponhoue |first2=Sylvain |last3=Lawson |first3=Laté |last4=Mukhaya |first4=Brian |last5=Okyere |first5=Michael Adu |title=Implications of Alleviating Unreliable Electricity Supply for Energy Poverty |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=July 2025 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/27142835/benin-household-energy-poverty-report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dato2025implications, author = {Dato, Prudence and Hekponhoue, Sylvain and Lawson, Laté and Mukhaya, Brian and Okyere, Michael Adu}, title = {{Implications of Alleviating Unreliable Electricity Supply for Energy Poverty}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2025}, month = jul, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/27142835/benin-household-energy-poverty-report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }