Domestic Sources of Energy in Africa: A profile of household fuels used for cooking

Information on the types of energy used for heating, lighting and cooking among households is important for a number of health and environmental reasons. This paper attempts to profile the different types of energy use for cooking in households in North (Morocco), West (Nigeria), East (Kenya) and Southern (South Africa) Africa. Data from Demographic and Health Surveys as well as the South African Community Survey from 2007 are here employed. Methods of analysis include a proportional rate of households using the different energy sources (paraffin, coal, gas and electricity) and regression analysis to assess if associations exist between characteristics of the household head and their type of energy usage in the household. This latter method produces odds ratios which explain the likelihood of usage by demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the household head.