Determinants of household energy use in the Fergana Valley

Hans Holzhacker ^a*, Botagoz Rakisheva ^b

---

^a CAREC Institute, Commercial Building Block 8, Vanke Metropolitan, No.66 Longteng Road,
Shuimogou District, Urumqi, Xinjiang, PRC

^b Public Opinion Research Institute (PORI), A.Bekturov street 3/1, office 83, Astana, 010000,
Kazakhstan

*Email: hans.holzhacker@carecinstitute.org

Botagoz Rakisheva: brakisheva@gmail.com

https://doi.org/10.29258/CAJSCR/2024-R1.v3-1/32-58.eng

April 3, 2024

Abstract

In July-August, 2023, CAREC Institute, Public Opinion Research Institute, and Asian Development Bank Institute conducted a sociological survey on household energy use in the Fergana Valley spanning over the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The following article uses the data from that survey for investigating what determines the choice of different energy types for heating. The article concludes that high household expenditures for coal and high awareness of the harm fossil fuels can inflict on the environment and family health are insufficient to trigger a large-scale shift towards cleaner energy. To motivate households for such a shift a substantial increase in fossil fuel prices compared to electricity and other clean energy is required. This might call for a sales tax on coal. However, energy expenditure already accounts for up to one-third of household income. Lowand middle-income households would need to be compensated for increased energy spending to avoid social hardship and a backlash against such a tax.

Download the Paper

Available in English

For citation: Holzhacker H., Rakisheva, B. (2024). Determinants of household energy use in the Fergana Valley. Central Asian Journal of Sustainability and Climate Research.  https://doi.org/10.29258/CAJSCR/2024-R1.v3-1/32-58.eng

Rerefences

Azhgaliyeva, D., Mishra, R., Karymshakov, K., Kerimray, A., Kapsalyamova, Zh. (2021). What determines coal consumption for residential heating in Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic? Australasian Journal of Environmental Management, 28, 410-432. https://doi.org/10.1080/14486563.2021. 1989328

Bai, Ch., Zhan, J., Wang, H., Yang, Zh., Liu, H., Liu, W., Wang, Ch., Chu, X., Teng, Y. (2023). Heating choices and residential willingness to pay for clean heating: Evidence from a household survey in rural China. Energy Policy, 178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113617

Borozan, D. (2019). Unveiling the heterogeneous effect of energy taxes and income on residential energy consumption. Energy Policy, 129, 13-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2019.01.069

Brown, A., Hampton, H., Foley, A., Del Rio, D.F., Lowans, Ch., Caulfield, B. Understanding domestic consumer attitude and behaviour towards energy: A study on the Island of Ireland. Energy Policy, 181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113693

Caballero, M.D., Vandenbergh, M.P., Gilligan, J.M., Currier, E.O. (2024). Incentivizing house-hold action: Exploring the behavioral wedge in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. Energy Policy, 186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2024.113992

CAREC Energy Outlook 2030 (2022). CAREC, ADB. https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/ publication/850111/carec-energy-outlook-2030.pdf

Deng, N., Wang, B., Wang, Zh. (2023). Does targeted poverty alleviation improve households’ adaptation to hot weathers: Evidence from electricity consumption of poor households. Energy Policy, 183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113850

Feng, K., Hubacek, K., Liu, Y., Marchán, E., Vogt-Schilb, A. (2018). Managing the distributional effects of energy taxes and subsidy removal in Latin America and the Caribbean. Applied Energy, 225, 424-436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.04.116

Gao, X., Chen, X., Liu, L-C. (2024). Exploring the determinants of the evolution of urban and rural household carbon footprints inequality in China. Energy Policy, 185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. enpol.2023.113955

Guo, J., Xu, Y., Qu, Y., Wang, Y., Wu, X. (2023). Exploring factors affecting household energy consumption in the internet era: Empirical evidence from Chinese households. Energy Policy, 183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113810

Household access to energy in the Fergana Valley – A multidimensional survey-based assessment in three CAREC countries (Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan) (2024). CAREC. https://www. carecinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Project-Report-Fergana-Valley.pdf

Huang, L., Yoshida, Y., Li, Y., Cheng, N., Xue, J., Long, Y. (2024). Sustainable lifestyle: Quantification and determining factors analysis of household carbon footprints in Japan. Energy Policy, 186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114016

Jakučionytė-Skodienė, M., Liobikienė, G. (2023). Changes in energy consumption and CO2 emissions in the Lithuanian household sector caused by environmental awareness and climate change policy. Energy Policy, 180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113687

 Li, G., Sun, J. & Dai, A. (2016). Village differences in rural household energy consumption within the Loess hilly region of China. Energy, Sustainability and Society. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13705- 016-0099-3

Li, L., Song, H., Duan, M., Zhu, Y., Luo, X. (2023). Impact of energy affordability on the decision-making of rural households in ecologically fragile areas of Northwest China regarding clean energy use. Energy, Sustainability and Society. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13705-023-00423-2

Mbaka, Ch.K., Gikonyo, J., Kisaka, O.M. (2019). Households’ energy preference and consumption intensity in Kenya. Energy, Sustainability and Society. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13705-019-0201- 8

Nie, Y., Zhang, G., Zhong, L., Su, B., Xi, X. (2024). Urbanrural disparities in household energy and electricity consumption under the influence of electricity price reform policies. Energy Policy, 184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113868

Parry, I., Mylonas, V., & Vernon, N. (2017). Reforming energy policy in India: Assessing the options. International Monetary Fund. WP/17/103. https://www.elibrary.imf.org/view/ journals/001/2017/103/article-A001-en.xml

Sumarno, Th. B., Laan, T. (2021). Taxing Coal to Hit the Goals: A simple way for Indonesia to reduce carbon emissions. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/ publications/taxing-coal-indonesia-reduce-carbon-emissions

Xin, B., Zhang, T., Ernesto D.R. Santibanez-Gonzalez. Synergistic effects of regional environmental governance on alleviating energy poverty and promoting household decarbonization. Energy Policy, 185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113970