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Restoring Balance: Bangladesh’s Rural Energy Realities
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but it is becoming scarcer than in the past, and a significant portion is being purchased. At the same time, many rural residents are Grid Connection (%) turning to residues, including grass and leaves, Division Villages Households to meet their daily cooking needs. Chittagong 78 39 In terms of lighting, kerosene is the main energy source, although most rural houseDhaka 80 44 holds would prefer electric lighting if it were Khulna 50 11 available. Electricity is not used as extensively Rajshahi 53 20 as it might be, perhaps because of restrictive All 66 29 household connection policies. Source: BIDS Survey (2004). The energy-use situation of rural households implies the need for policy initiatives that promote more efficient use of biomass energy, and its increased supply and more efficient use and better pricing of modern energy to increase supply and reliability. To gain a clearer picture of whether rural Bangladeshis are moving up or down the energy ladder, it is critical to examine patterns of energy demand (expenditure and asset ownership), which are the subject of the next chapter. Table 2.6. Electrification of Villages and Households by Division
Notes 1. Such fuels as unprocessed agricultural residue and cow dung are considered inferior to wood for cooking and generally produce higher levels of IAP when burned in traditional stoves. 2. The increase may involve advances in survey design instruments with which to measure rural energy use (e.g., previous surveys had more basic questions).