Impacts of Electricity Outages in Urban Households in Developing Countries: A Case of Accra, Ghana

Paul Nduhuura, Matthias Garschagen and Abdellatif Zerga
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Paul Nduhuura: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Technology, University of Tlemcen, B.P. 119|Pôle Chetouane, Tlemcen 13000, Algeria
Matthias Garschagen: Department of Geography, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Luisenstrasse 37, 80333 München, Germany
Abdellatif Zerga: Pan African University Institute of Water and Energy Sciences—PAUWES, c/o University of Tlemcen, B.P. 119|Pôle Chetouane, Tlemcen 13000, Algeria

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 12, 1-26

Abstract: Many developing countries in Africa face a “double tragedy” when it comes to electrification. Electricity access rates are low, while those who have access to electricity face frequent outages. There are ongoing efforts aimed at increasing access to electricity on the continent. However, the need to improve the reliability of electricity supply receives limited attention. Unreliable electricity impacts users by limiting electricity utilization and the benefits that should accrue from having an electricity connection. Using data from 496 household survey questionnaires, this study examines the impacts of electricity outages in urban households in Accra, Ghana. The study applies correlation and regression analyses to identify which household characteristics are associated with or predict households reporting outage impacts. Outages were found to impact household safety/security, access to food, and access to social services and were found to cause appliance damage as well. Factors that are significantly correlated with reporting certain outage impacts include respondent’s annual income and employment status, frequency of electricity outages, and household size. Significant predictors of reporting outage impacts are socioeconomic disadvantage, high exposure to outages, and living in a large family setting. The study’s findings underscore the need for interventions to eliminate, or at least minimize, electricity supply interruptions in developing countries if sustainable social and economic development is to be achieved.

Keywords: electricity outages; outage impacts; households; Ghana (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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