Abstract:
Energy is a critical input in an economy and an increased consumption of it has long
been associated with an increase in economic activities and an improvement in wellbeing.
Due to its multiple sources and uses in various sectors of the economy, a
complex relationship between energy use and human development has evolved. One
aspect of this complex relationship is the increased recognition that a wide range of
energy sources used in many countries for various purposes is both unclean and
inefficient, with significant environmental consequences. Using the seventh round of
the Ghana Living Standard Survey (GLSS) and a survey on households in Techiman,
this study assesses the factors that influence households‘ choice of cooking energy
and expenditure on LPG in Ghana. The study employed the energy ladder theory to
undertake the investigations. With respect to factors influencing choice of cooking
energy, it was observed that education status, area of residency, household size and
age of household head were all statistically significant in explaining the adoption of
wood, charcoal and electricity in cooking as opposed to LPG by households. Based on
the results obtained from a multinomial logistic model, the study confirmed the
validity of the energy ladder theory for Ghana. Thus, an increase in household income
was found to decrease the adoption of traditional fuels and increase the adoption of
modern fuels for cooking. This implies that, lower income household heads are more
likely to opt for wood and charcoal as cooking fuel rather than LPG, which was
predominantly used by high-income earners. Finally, the study used the double hurdle
model to explore factors that influence participation and expenditure decisions in the
LPG market by households in the Techiman municipality. The study revealed that
area of residence, income, sector of employment, sensitization, affordability,reliability, accessibility and tertiary education significantly affected household LPG
usage, education level (basic & secondary), house ownership and marital status did
not have significant impact on LPG usage. The study then recommended enhanced
income creating opportunities and LPG use educational programmes among others to
improve the use of LPG by households
Description:
A thesis presented to the Department of Economics Education,
Faculty of Social Sciences Education, submitted to the school
of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the award of the degree of
Master of Philosophy
(Economics)
in the University of Education, Winneba
OCTOBER, 2020
