Assessing the prevalence of energy poverty: a field investigation of households with elders in underserved communities in Colombo

Abstract

Energy is a primary resource for a nation's socioeconomic development. Targeted policy interventions to ensure energy equity and alleviate energy poverty must be grounded in a comprehensive understanding of the prevailing issues in energy accessibility and affordability among vulnerable communities. This study focuses on assessing the incidence and intensity of energy poverty among households inhabited by elders in underserved communities in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The study assesses prevailing energy poverty using the Multidimensional Energy Poverty Index (MEPI) across 149 randomly selected households. Various indicator weighting methods and energy poverty cut-off values are utilized in MEPI calculations for comparative analysis. These households experience an average MEPI of 0.262 with a 0.476 headcount ratio. Additionally, 77.4% of households spend over 10% of their income on energy services, indicating high energy expenditure relative to household income. Moreover, most of these households face numerous challenges, including confined floor areas, temporary construction, inadequate natural lighting, poor ventilation and air quality, and inadequate water and sanitation facilities. Thus, prioritizing the needs of elders in these communities and implementing evidence-based policy interventions are crucial steps toward fostering a more equitable and inclusive society. The study's outcomes have farreaching implications for strategic interventions aimed at alleviating energy poverty.