“Load shedding is undoubtedly one of the primary drivers of increased demand for charcoal among urban households in recent times in Zambia,” said Kaala Moombe, a senior researcher at the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in Lusaka. “Families can buy a little bag of charcoal every day and ration their consumption. With electricity, you can’t know how much you are spending until the bill arrives at the end of the month, but charcoal is so expensive these days that without knowing, many people are spending more than they would for gas or electricity,” he added.
The study also found that in all three countries, energy footprints arose mostly from fuels burnt for residential purposes. Inequalities in energy consumption are also a very important constraint for energy transition. The researchers showed that energy inequalities impacted upon wellbeing more than inequalities caused by income differences.
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