Testing the effectiveness of household fuel conservation strategies: Policy implications for increasing the affordability of exclusive clean cooking

Kendra N. Williams; Katarina Kamenar; Josiah L. Kephart; Marilu Chiang; Stella M. Hartinger; William Checkley

Environment International (Oct 2023)

Testing the effectiveness of household fuel conservation strategies: Policy implications for increasing the affordability of exclusive clean cooking

Kendra N. Williams,
Katarina Kamenar,
Josiah L. Kephart,
Marilu Chiang,
Stella M. Hartinger,
William Checkley

Affiliations

Kendra N. Williams: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Center for Global Non-Communicable Disease Research and Training, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
Katarina Kamenar: Center for Global Non-Communicable Disease Research and Training, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
Josiah L. Kephart: Center for Global Non-Communicable Disease Research and Training, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Urban Health Collaborative, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Marilu Chiang: Biomedical Research Unit, A.B. PRISMA, Lima, Peru
Stella M. Hartinger: Facultad de Salud Publica y Administración, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
William Checkley: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Center for Global Non-Communicable Disease Research and Training, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Corresponding author at: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Johns Hopkins University, 1830 E. Monument St., Room 555, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 180
p. 108223

Abstract

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Background: Exclusive clean fuel use is essential for realizing health and other benefits but is often unaffordable. Decreasing household-level fuel needs could make exclusive clean fuel use more affordable, but there is a lack of knowledge on the amount of fuel savings that could be achieved through fuel conservation behaviors relevant to rural settings in low- and middle-income countries. Methods: Within a trial in Peru, we trained a random half of intervention participants, who had previously received a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stove and were purchasing their own fuel, on fuel conservation strategies. We measured the amount of fuel and mega joules (MJ) of energy consumed by all participants, including control participants who were receiving free fuel from the trial. We administered surveys on fuel conservation behaviors and assigned a score based on the number of behaviors performed. Results: Intervention participants with the training had a slightly higher conservation score than those without (7.2 vs. 6.6 points; p = 0.07). Across all participants, average daily energy consumption decreased by 9.5 MJ for each 1-point increase in conservation score (p < 0.001). Among households who used exclusively LPG (n = 99), each 1-point increase in conservation score was associated with a 0.04 kg decrease in LPG consumption per household per day (p = 0.03). Using pressure cookers and heating water in the sun decreased energy use, while using clay pots and forgetting to close stove knobs increased energy use. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that a household could save 1.16 kg of LPG per month for each additional fuel conservation behavior, for a maximum potential savings of 8.1 kg per month. Fuel conservation messaging could be integrated into national household energy policies to increase the affordability of exclusive clean fuel use, and subsequently achieve the environmental and health benefits that could accompany such a transition.

Published in Environment International

ISSN: 0160-4120 (Print)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Geography. Anthropology. Recreation: Environmental sciences
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/environment-international

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