ENERGY SAFETY NETS

This guide by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) defines and provides a framework for Energy Safety Nets (ESNs), which are government-led mechanisms designed to close the affordability gap for the poorest and most vulnerable people to access modern energy services, including electricity and clean cooking fuels.

• An Energy Safety Net (ESN) is a targeted government approach to ensure that poor and vulnerable populations can afford essential modern energy services, specifically electricity and clean fuels for cooking. It differs from general energy subsidies by using targeting or eligibility criteria to direct benefits to those in need, aiming to avoid the economic disadvantages of purely market-based delivery.
• ESNs are categorized into two primary types: those supporting physical connections and those supporting ongoing consumption. Connection support involves one-off resource transfers for grid, mini-grid, or off-grid solar systems, as well as equipment for clean cooking (e.g., LPG cylinders and stoves). Consumption support involves recurring transfers, such as reduced-price tariffs (lifeline or social tariffs), cash transfers, or vouchers for fuel refills.
• Policymakers can use several targeting approaches to identify ESN beneficiaries, including geographic targeting (by location or climatic zone), social characteristics (vulnerable ethnic or religious groups), economic characteristics (income or expenditure levels), and demographic characteristics (e.g., elderly or female-headed households). The guide notes that means testing increases the share of support reaching the poor but entails higher administrative costs.
• The guide highlights the importance of gender-responsive ESN design, noting that while women traditionally manage domestic energy, men may assume more control over decision-making when modern energy is introduced. It suggests targeting resource transfers to women to protect or enhance their empowerment and address barriers such as limited access to financial services and land.

APA

Sustainable Energy for All (n.d.). ENERGY SAFETY NETS. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2020-02/ESN_policymakers-SEforALL.pdf

Chicago

Sustainable Energy for All. ENERGY SAFETY NETS. n.d. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2020-02/ESN_policymakers-SEforALL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Sustainable Energy for All |title=ENERGY SAFETY NETS |url=https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2020-02/ESN_policymakers-SEforALL.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sustainableenergyforallndenergy, author = {{Sustainable Energy for All}}, title = {{ENERGY SAFETY NETS}}, institution = {Sustainable Energy for All}, url = {https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2020-02/ESN_policymakers-SEforALL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }