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Do improved cookstoves save time and improve gender outcomes? Evidence from six developing countries

Publication ,  Journal Article
Krishnapriya, PP; Chandrasekaran, M; Jeuland, M; Pattanayak, SK
Published in: Energy Economics
October 1, 2021

Three billion people around the world lack access to affordable and reliable clean cooking energy. The case for clean energy has largely been built around health and or environmental benefits, neglecting potentially sizeable benefit(s): when households have clean energy, they can save time and reduce drudgery. Clean energy can reduce poverty. But how large are time savings from the adoption and use of improved cookstoves (ICS)? Do these benefits accrue especially to women? To answer these questions, we develop a conceptual framework based on household production, and then employ two complementary empirical methods. First, we review the impact evaluation literature that estimates time savings from use of various ICS. Second, we conduct multivariable regression analysis of Multi-Tier Framework (MTF) data from six countries to estimate the impacts of ICS on time spent on cooking. The review and econometric estimation offer consistent evidence that ICS can help households save time, but the estimated savings vary across locations, technologies, and study methods. Time savings (i) are consistent across both rural and urban areas, (ii) are greatest for fuel collection and preparation (rather than cooking), (iii) accrue to both women and men, and (iv) are highest for more advanced technologies and fuels (like electricity, LPG, and biogas). Overall, our pooled econometric estimates suggest that ICS use leads households to save about 34 min per day. Our estimate is lower than the average of estimates in the literature (68 min/day), but not so different from the average among a lower cluster of estimates (29 min/day). While our work illuminates shortcomings inherent in current research on this topic, our results constitute an important first step towards advancing the practice of quantification of time savings from household energy interventions.

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Published In

Energy Economics

DOI

ISSN

0140-9883

Publication Date

October 1, 2021

Volume

102

Related Subject Headings

  • Energy
  • 3802 Econometrics
  • 3801 Applied economics
  • 3502 Banking, finance and investment
  • 1402 Applied Economics
  • 0913 Mechanical Engineering
  • 0906 Electrical and Electronic Engineering
 

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Krishnapriya, P. P., Chandrasekaran, M., Jeuland, M., & Pattanayak, S. K. (2021). Do improved cookstoves save time and improve gender outcomes? Evidence from six developing countries. Energy Economics, 102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2021.105456
Krishnapriya, P. P., M. Chandrasekaran, M. Jeuland, and S. K. Pattanayak. “Do improved cookstoves save time and improve gender outcomes? Evidence from six developing countries.” Energy Economics 102 (October 1, 2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2021.105456.
Krishnapriya PP, Chandrasekaran M, Jeuland M, Pattanayak SK. Do improved cookstoves save time and improve gender outcomes? Evidence from six developing countries. Energy Economics. 2021 Oct 1;102.
Krishnapriya, P. P., et al. “Do improved cookstoves save time and improve gender outcomes? Evidence from six developing countries.” Energy Economics, vol. 102, Oct. 2021. Scopus, doi:10.1016/j.eneco.2021.105456.
Krishnapriya PP, Chandrasekaran M, Jeuland M, Pattanayak SK. Do improved cookstoves save time and improve gender outcomes? Evidence from six developing countries. Energy Economics. 2021 Oct 1;102.
Journal cover image

Published In

Energy Economics

DOI

ISSN

0140-9883

Publication Date

October 1, 2021

Volume

102

Related Subject Headings

  • Energy
  • 3802 Econometrics
  • 3801 Applied economics
  • 3502 Banking, finance and investment
  • 1402 Applied Economics
  • 0913 Mechanical Engineering
  • 0906 Electrical and Electronic Engineering