How does slum rehabilitation influence appliance ownership? A structural model of non-income drivers.
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Publication Date
2019-09Journal Title
Energy policy
ISSN
0301-4215
Publisher
Elsevier Ltd.
Volume
132
Pages
418-428
Language
eng
Type
Article
This Version
VoR
Physical Medium
Print
Metadata
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Debnath, R., Bardhan, R., & Sunikka-Blank, M. (2019). How does slum rehabilitation influence appliance ownership? A structural model of non-income drivers.. Energy policy, 132 418-428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2019.06.005
Abstract
This study explores the effect of slum rehabilitation on appliance ownership and its implications on residential electricity demand. The low income scenario makes it unique because the entire proposition is based on the importance of non-income drivers of appliance ownership that includes effects of changing the built environment (BE), household practices (HP) and appliances characteristics (AC). This study demonstrates quantitatively that non-income factors around energy practices influence appliance ownership, and therefore electricity consumption. The methodology consists of questionnaire design across the dimension of BE, HP and AC based on social practice theory, surveying of 1224 households and empirical analysis using covariance based structural equation modelling. Results show that higher appliance ownership in the slum rehabilitation housing is due to change in household practice, built environment and affordability criteria of the appliances. Change in HP shifts necessary activities like cooking, washing and cleaning from outdoor to indoor spaces that positively and signifcantly influences higher appliance ownership. Poor BE conditions about indoor air quality, thermal comfort and hygiene; and product cost, discounts and ease of use of the appliances also triggers higher appliance ownership. The fndings of this study can aid in designing better regulatory and energy efciency policies for low-income settlements.
Sponsorship
RD is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Grant no. OPP1144) through the Gates-Cambridge Scholarship. This study is in parts funded by Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India (Grant no. 14MHRD005) under the Frontier Areas in Science and Technology grant awarded to RB.
Identifiers
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2019.06.005
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/293523