An Economic Analysis of Household Energy Consumption of Urban Odisha

Energy in the household sector is used for various purposes like lighting, cooling, running of electrical appliances, cooking, water heating and running of vehicles etc. Further the amount of energy consumption in the household sector is found to vary with income, family size, age of the family members, and number of literate persons in the family. This paper analyses the impact of income on the pattern of household energy consumption in the urban municipal area of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha. For this the households in the study area were categorised in different income groups. It was found that families having high income consume more energy. Analysing consumption of energy in the household sector it was further found that consumption of electricity for running electrical appliances (for the purpose of cooling, lighting, refrigeration, entertainment and water heating) and consumption of oil mainly for running of vehicles is highest among the households of high income group. While the consumption of fuel in the form of both kerosene and LPG for the purpose of cooking was found to be the highest among middle income group. Households of low income group are the highest consumer of kerosene for the purpose of lighting.