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Energy
Energy poverty and its impacts poverty
on health and education: a
systematic review
Om Raj Katoch 411
Department of Economics, Govt. Degree College Batote,
University of Jammu, Jammu, India Received 13 October 2022
Revised 6 January 2023
23 February 2023
Romesh Sharma Accepted 11 March 2023
Department of Economics, Govt. Degree College (Boys) Udhampur,
University of Jammu, Jammu, India
Sarita Parihar
Department of Economics, Govt. Degree College Kishtwar, University of Jammu,
Jammu, India, and
Ashraf Nawaz
Department of Economics, Govt. Degree College Sarhbagga, Mahore,
University of Jammu, Jammu, India

Abstract
Purpose – People with energy poverty are denied the modern energy services such as cooking, lighting,
heating, cooling and communication. These needs are all crucial to maintaining an acceptable level of living
standards. This paper aims to examine the effects of energy poverty on health and education.
Design/methodology/approach – This systematic review was conducted using the 2009 Preferred
Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The ScienceDirect, Scopus and
Google Scholar databases were used to search the studies conducted between 2012 and 2022. Studies included in this
review were searched with some combinations of keywords and saved in Mendeley Desktop for review and
referencing. Of 1,745 articles retrieved after removing the duplicates from the databases, 22 met the inclusion criteria.
Findings – Out of the total 22 studies reviewed, six were conducted in Asia, six in Europe, four in Africa, three in
developing countries and one each in North America, Australia and at global level. Results indicated that impacts of
energy poverty on health and education were negative. Efforts should be made to improve the economic conditions
of the population in order to allow them access to energy services to achieve higher levels of living.
Practical implications – As this systematic review excludes non-peer-reviewed literature, case studies,
reports and theses, and only includes studies published between 2012 and 2022 in English language only,
consequently, it may not provide an exhaustive overview of the literature on topic.
Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first systematic review to investigate
the relationship between energy poverty, health and education conducted here. The search methodologies
involve systematic searches of databases and other manual searches. Considering the wide inclusion criteria,
this review is useful as a general overview of the issues and identifies particular gaps in the existing evidence.
Keywords Energy poverty, Health, Education, Systematic review, PRISMA
Paper type Literature review
International Journal of Energy
Sector Management
Vol. 18 No. 2, 2024
Funding: Funding for the research was not provided by any agency. pp. 411-431
Declaration of competing interest: It is declared by the authors that they do not have any © Emerald Publishing Limited
1750-6220
competing interests that could affect the work reported in this article. DOI 10.1108/IJESM-10-2022-0007
IJESM Abbreviations
18,2 MDGs = millennium development goals;
SDGs = sustainable development goals;
IEA = international energy agency;
MEPI = multidimension energy poverty index;
PRISMA = preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis;
DLS = decent living standard; and
412 LCS = living conditions survey.

1. Introduction
Energy access is the “golden thread” that weaves together economic growth, human
development and environmental sustainability (IEA, 2017). Development outcomes and
energy are closely interconnected (Adom et al., 2021). It is an integral part of economic
development – as it is needed for industry, agriculture, food processing, water pumping and
irrigation, source of modern fuels for cooking and heating, and for lighting, refrigeration,
communications, commercial enterprises and transportations (FAO, 2006). Access to clean
energy enhances development by providing several opportunities and improving the quality
of life (Bhide and Monroy, 2011). Achieving a decent living standard (DLS) encompasses
having an energy consumption basket that provides adequate nutrition, a house with
minimal space and thermal comfort, clean and safe drinking water, lights, cooking fuels,
cold storage and access to the internet and public media, as well as health care and
education (Rao et al., 2019). It was found that an increase in household electricity
consumption is a reflection of the improvement in the quality of people’s lives and lifestyles
(Costa-Campi et al., 2019).

1.1 Strength and limitation of the study

This is the first systematic review to investigate the relationship between energy poverty,
health and education conducted here. The search methodologies involve systematic
searches of databases and other manual searches. Considering the wide inclusion criteria,
this review is useful as a general overview of the issues and identifies particular gaps in the
existing evidence. As this systematic review excludes non-peer-reviewed literature, case
studies, reports and theses, and only includes studies published between 2012 and 2022 in
English language only, consequently, it may not provide an exhaustive overview of the
literature on topic. If everyone had access to energy, their lives would be dramatically
improved and their economic prospects would be greatly enhanced.

2. Background
Energy poverty describes the inability of families to access adequate energy services, such
as home heating, electric appliance use and mobility (Middlemiss, 2019; Okushima, 2016;
Thomson et al., 2017). It affects a person’s physical health, well-being and ability to prosper
(Njiru and Letema, 2018). Rural areas are more commonly affected by energy poverty than
urban areas. According to a study (Costa-Campi et al., 2019), the likelihood of a home
suffering from energy poverty increases by 2.4 percentage points when it is located in a
rural area. It is possible that these rural areas have a greater vulnerability because, for
example, different combustible materials are available with different prices in these regions,
or the majority of households are large or isolated with difficulty in maintaining adequate
heating and cooling systems. Energy poverty prevents people from meeting basic daily
needs such as cooking, lighting, heating, cooling and communication, all of which are
necessary for an acceptable quality of life (Memmott et al., 2021; Zhang et al., 2019;
Hernandez, 2016). Household members are negatively affected by energy poverty as it Energy
aggravates their misery on health (Xiao et al., 2021), education and job opportunities poverty
(Sharma et al., 2019). A growing body of research shows that energy poverty negatively
impacts health, climate, livelihoods and the economy, which has led to increased initiatives
to achieve universal access to clean energy (Crentsil et al., 2019). A wide consensus has
developed that energy poverty affects a nation’s health (Njiru and Letema, 2018; Oum, 2019;
Banerjee et al., 2021), education (Adom et al., 2021; Crentsil et al., 2019; Apergis et al., 2022),
children’s subjective well-being (Zhang et al., 2019) and other socioeconomic outcomes 413
(Crentsil et al., 2019; Phoumin and Kimura, 2019; Sambodo and Novandra, 2019). According
to FAO, increasing access to energy resources in rural areas and developing new bioenergy
sources can be crucial to meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) relating to
eradicating extreme poverty and hunger as well as improving health, education, the
environment, and women’s equality (FAO, 2006). The basic needs of food and shelter must
be at the centre of any strategy to alleviate poverty, and modern energy services provide a
means to meet those needs (Birol, 2007).
In order for sustainable development to occur, it is critical that developing countries have
access to modern, affordable energy services (Sharma and Karnamadakala Rahul, 2016). As
part of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015 by all member
states of the United Nations, affordable and clean energy represents the 7th goal to ensure
universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services, between 2016 and 2030
(Morton et al., 2017). Efforts to provide access to electricity and clean cooking are impactful
on a variety of SDGs, including decreasing poverty (SDG1), enhancing health and well-being
(SDG3), improving quality of education (SDG4) and achieving gender equality (SDG5)
(Harmelink, 2020). It is imperative that women have access to energy to achieve gender
equality, poverty reduction and improved health (FAO, 2006). United Nations Department of
Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA, 2021) reports that, as a result of global
improvements in clean energy and energy efficiency, the proportion of people with access to
electricity grew from 83% in 2010 to 90% in 2019, and the proportion of people who used
clean fuels and technologies increased from 57% to 66% during the same period. In spite of
this, millions still live without electricity and one-third do not have access to clean cooking
fuels and technologies. According to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) (IEA, 2017)
report, despite some progress on clean cooking, it is projected that by 2030, 2.3 billion people
will still lack access to clean cooking facilities, contributing to 2.5 million premature deaths a
year from associated household air pollution. The report further revealed that developing
countries in Asia, led by India, have made significant progress, and the electrification rate in
the region reached 89% in 2016, up from 67% in 2000. A full surge of electrification in China
began around 2015, while 100 million individuals in Indonesia and 90 million in Bangladesh
got access around 2000. It is projected that India reaching universal access well before the
target. If everyone had access to energy, their lives would be dramatically improved and
their economic prospects would be greatly enhanced. Women in particular would benefit
from the reduction of time spent gathering fuel for cooking and the air pollution can be
avoided in their households. Public health problems related to energy poverty have grown
due to indoor air pollution, physical injury caused by fuelwood collection and lack of
refrigeration and medical care in areas without electricity (Sovacool, 2012). The eradication
of energy poverty would have significant economic effects not only in terms of its direct
effects on health outcomes but also its indirect effects on household budget allocation
decisions. The provision of adequate heating levels in domestic dwellings would improve
mental and physical health levels of its inhabitants, thus reducing morbidity and mortality
rates (Kose, 2019). Access to clean energy is becoming a priority worldwide, and many
IJESM governments are committed to achieving this goal since financial access, education,
18,2 economic development, infrastructure and industrialization are all positively correlated with
energy access (Zhang et al., 2019).

2.1 Determinants of energy poverty

Several factors contribute to energy poverty, including household wealth status, income
414 level, housing type and owner or renter status (Costa-Campi et al., 2019; Crentsil et al., 2019;
Musango, 2014; Niu et al., 2016). A study by Ashagidigbi et al. (2020) conducted in Gauteng
to examine the access and consumption of electricity among households in an urban
environment in South Africa, for example, found, among other things, that household
income and a low price for other fuels relative to electricity are factors behind the low use of
electricity despite the availability of electricity supply options. In other words, income is a
key driver of energy poverty, with a strong negative impact on it. As such, an increase in
income can significantly alleviate the problem of energy poverty (Papada et al., 2019). A
study by Sharma et al. (2019) conducted in Mumbai, India found that the household’s
consumption expenditure, which is a function of its income, plays a dominant role in
determining the level of energy poverty. Poor households (Okushima, 2016), larger families
and households with a female primary breadwinner are the main determinants of energy
poverty (Abbas et al., 2020). An analysis of the determinants of energy poverty carried out in
Sri Lanka (Jayasinghe et al., 2021) showed that there is a significant difference in the
intensity and incidence of energy poverty by gender, age, ethnicity and income group of the
household head, as well as location of the household. Moreover, the researchers found that
energy-poor households do not always have low incomes and that various
sociodemographic and geographic factors, as well as income, are strongly associated with
energy poverty. A lack of access to modern cooking fuels and air pollution caused by
cooking were the most significant contributing factors to multidimensional energy poverty
(Crentsil et al., 2019). In Germany, a study by Drescher and Janzen (2021) found that
households suffering from energy poverty in the previous period were 7.5% more likely to
suffer from energy poverty in the current period. In addition, the study found that energy
poverty was associated with household composition, educational attainment, labour force
status and heating system efficiency. Another study by Ashagidigbi et al. (2020) conducted
in Nigeria however found energy poverty to be higher in rural areas than in urban areas.
Other findings indicate that male-headed households, the rural sector and northeast
residents are associated with energy poverty enhancing factors, while household income
and credit access contribute to energy poverty inhibiting factors.
Another study by Sule et al. (2022) conducted in 33 African countries revealed that
energy poverty is largely caused by fuel cost, low incomes and inefficient housing, which
have an effect on the under-5 mortality rate and on education inequality. It further found
that a state intervention to improve access to energy may reduce the mortality rate for
children under 5, as well as shorten the gap between rural and urban areas in terms of
educational opportunities. Another study (Kose, 2019) indicated that housing characteristics
that determine the efficiency of houses in terms of energy use, household income level and
heating fuel prices are the main factors determining energy poverty. A study (Shahbaz and
Lean, 2012) conducted in Tunisia revealed that energy demand is linked to the demand for
investments that stimulate economic growth, while the investment system must provide a
means for reallocating financial resources to high return investments. Therefore, a well-
developed and sound financial system in the country is essential to attract investors, boost
the stock market and improve economic efficiency.
 Therefore, energy poverty is associated with several factors such as household wealth Energy
status, income level, housing type, household composition, educational attainment, labour poverty
force status and heating system efficiency and fuel cost, so the problem requires a multi-
faceted approach.

3. Material and methods

3.1 Research questions 415
This research investigates the impacts of energy poverty on health and education. As part of
this research, researchers sought answers to the following research questions:

RQ1. What are the health impacts of energy poverty?

RQ2. What are the effects of energy poverty on education?
For the current systematic review, we aim to identify studies that explore the association
between energy poverty, health and education. Four independent reviewers (Katoch,
Sharma, Parihar and Nawaz) have screened the titles, abstracts and full-text documents and
independently extract relevant data for analysis. Study quality was assessed using a
modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (Wells, 2022). The study is an in-depth review of
published literature, so ethical approval was not required. We plan to publish our results in
energy, health and education-related journals, present our findings at conferences focused
on energy poverty related themes and communicate our findings to policymakers.

3.2 Systematic review protocol

This systematic review study was conducted using the 2009 Preferred Reporting Items for
Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines (Moher et al., 2010) (Figure 1).

3.3 Searching databases and search strategy

Three databases were used for searching the evidences. We conducted systematic searches
on Scopus, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar following the PRISMA 2009 (Moher et al.,
2010) flow diagram (Figure 1). Using Google, we identified additional relevant studies. A list
of combinations of keywords/search terms was prepared for searching the studies. The
search terms that were used included: (Energy poverty OR Electricity OR fuel poverty OR
modern cooking fuel OR multidimensional energy poverty index OR Effects of energy
poverty on education OR health OR association of energy poverty and education OR health
OR Impacts of energy poverty on education OR health OR relationship between energy
poverty and health OR education). The search covered research conducted between the
period 2012 and 2022.

3.4 Inclusion criteria and quality assessment

Studies were included in the systematic review if they (1) conducted on energy poverty; (2)
focussed on effects of energy poverty on health and/or education; (3) were published in a
peer-reviewed journal between 2012 and 2022 having DOI numbers; and (4) were written in
English language only. Using the modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (Wells, 2022), as used in
Epstein et al. (2018), two authors (Katoch and Sharma) independently assessed the quality of
the remaining articles. An article can obtain up to 9 stars in the quality assessment process,
while those with lower quality earn fewer stars. Selection (4 stars), comparability (2 stars)
and outcome (3 stars) are the three dimensions assessed, which evaluate the
representativeness of the sample, sample size justification, comparison between respondents
IJESM Idenficaon of studies via
18,2 databases
Idenficaon

Records idenfied from:

Scopus: (n = 730) Addional records idenfied through manual searching
(n = 35)
416 ScienceDirect: (n = 590)
Web of Science: (n = 495)

Records aer duplicates removed

(n = 1745)

Records excluded aer reading the tle and abstract

Title and abstract screen
(not reporng the impacts of energy poverty on
Screening

(n = 1745) health or educaon

(n =1655)

Full length text arcles Full length text arcles excluded, with reasons:
assessed for eligibility 1. Being not peer reviewed (n = 16)
2. Being published before 2012 (n = 33)
(n = 90) 3. Being a report or thesis (n = 09)
Included

Figure 1. Studies included for qualitave synthesis

Flowchart for the (n =22)
selection of studies
based on PRISMA
2009 guidelines
Source: Moher et al. (2010)

and non-respondents, ascertainment of exposure, comparability based on study design,

evaluation of the outcome and appropriateness of statistical tests. In addition, key quality
parameter was assessed in items not included in NOS, i.e. the variables are clearly defined
including the time period for measurement. All studies were ranked as being high quality if
they received a score of 6, fair if they received a score between 4 and 5 stars, and low if
they received a score #3 stars. Disagreements were resolved through discussion and
consensus. The review has been registered with PROSPER an international register of
systematic reviews ID-CRD42022329771.

3.5 Exclusion criteria

The criteria for excluding a study were:
 unrelated research works;
 studies without sufficient data;
 duplicate sources;
 all the case studies, books, policy briefs and thesis/dissertations;
  non-peer-reviewed research articles; Energy
 articles that their full text was not available; and poverty
 articles published before 2012.

3.6 Data extraction

All the studies identified by the search on Scopus, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar were 417
added into the Mendeley Desktop library and duplicates were removed before screening in
the first phase. Each reference was screened by Three independent reviewers (Katoch,
Sharma and Parihar) to determine if it should be included or excluded for full text review
based on the above eligibility criteria. Disagreements between reviewers were discussed and
settled by consensus. In the second phase, all the studies were screened by reading the titles
and abstracts and excluded those studies not reporting energy poverty/effects of energy
poverty on health or education. The third phase consists of full-length text review and
inclusion of peer reviewed articles published in the journals only and exclusion of non-peer-
reviewed articles, reports, case studies, theses/dissertations, books and policy briefs, etc. for
the systematic review. In the fourth phase, relevant data were included in the data extraction
form:
 author [ref.] and year;
 issue addressed;
 country/location;
 sample size (n) and nature of study;
 methodology used; and
 impacts of energy poverty on health and education.

4. Results and discussion

4.1 Search results
As part of this systematic review, we aim to bring together evidence from a number of
international sources regarding the association between energy poverty and health and
education. Upon searching and removing duplicate records, there were a total of 1,745 records
found in the database. During the screening of titles and abstracts, 1,655 articles were excluded
that did not report energy poverty’s impact on education and/or health. Only 90 full-text
articles were assessed for eligibility. Furthermore, nine articles were also excluded for being
reports, case studies and theses, 16 articles were excluded for being not peer reviewed and 33
articles were excluded because they were published before 2012. Based on the full-length text
screening, 22 studies met our inclusion criteria for the current systematic review.

4.2 Study characteristics

Table 2 shows a summary of the studies included in this review on energy poverty, health
and education. Out of the total 22 studies reviewed, six were conducted in Asia (Adom et al.,
2021; Njiru and Letema, 2018; Phoumin and Kimura, 2019; Sambodo and Novandra, 2019;
Nawaz, 2021; Zhang Ziyu et al., 2021), six in Europe (Thomson et al., 2017; Kose, 2019;
Mohan, 2021; Grey, 2017) four in Africa (Crentsil et al., 2019; Oum, 2019; Sule et al., 2022; Lin
and Okyere, 2020), three in developing countries (Banerjee et al., 2021; Apergis et al., 2022;
Sovacool, 2012) and one each in North America (Hernandez, 2016), Australia (Churchill and
Smyth, 2021) and at global level (Pan et al., 2021).
IJESM A systematic review of studies identified over time is represented in Figure 2. This
18,2 review included a total of 22 studies. Out of which one study conducted in 2012 (Sovacool,
2012), one in 2016 (Hernandez, 2016), two in 2017 (Thomson et al., 2017; Grey, 2017), six in
2019 (Crentsil et al., 2019; Oum, 2019; Phoumin and Kimura, 2019; Sambodo and Novandra,
2019; Zhang Ziyu et al., 2021; Grey, 2017), one in 2020 (Lin and Okyere, 2020), eight in 2021
(Adom et al., 2021; Nawaz, 2021; Mohan, 2021; Oliveras, 2021; Lin and Okyere, 2020;
418 Churchill and Smyth, 2021) and two in 2022 (Apergis et al., 2022).
The quality assessment of the included studies was done as per the modified Newcastle-
Ottawa scale (Zhang Ziyu et al., 2021). The methodological quality of the studies ranged
from 3 to 9, with a median score of 6. Eighteen studies were deemed to be of high quality (>6
score) (Adom et al., 2021; Njiru and Letema, 2018; Crentsil et al., 2019; Sambodo and
Novandra, 2019; Kose, 2019; Shahbaz and Lean, 2012; Carrere, 2021; Oliveras, 2021;
Hernandez, 2016; Sharma and Katoch, 2018; Katoch and Sharma, 2017). The results of the
quality assessment are presented in detail in Table 1.
Based on studies conducted between 2012 and 2022 to determine the impact of energy
poverty on education and health, Table 3 shows its distribution. An analysis of one study
(Sovacool, 2012) conducted between 2012 and 2014 found that energy poverty negatively
impacts health. The negative effects on health have been reported in two studies (Grey, 2017;
Hernandez, 2016) conducted between 2015 and 2017, but no study has reported the effects on
education for the same period. The negative effects of energy poverty on education were
demonstrated in one study (Crentsil et al., 2019) between 2018 and 2020, while the negative
effects of energy poverty on health were noted in six studies (Crentsil et al., 2019; Phoumin
and Kimura, 2019; Sambodo and Novandra, 2019; Kose, 2019; Zhang Ziyu et al., 2021; Lin and
Okyere, 2020), while two studies (Njiru and Letema, 2018; Oum, 2019) indicated negative
effects on both education and health. In 2021–2022, nine studies were conducted, of which one
(Apergis et al., 2022) indicates that energy poverty is detrimental to education, five (Nawaz,
2021; Mohan, 2021; Oliveras, 2021; Churchill and Smyth, 2021; Pan et al., 2021) indicate that it
impacts health and three (Adom et al., 2021; Banerjee et al., 2021; Sule et al., 2022) indicate that
it affects both education and health. Only one study (Grey, 2017) conducted in 2017 to
investigate the relationship between energy poverty and health revealed no correlation.
To answer the research questions, we have compiled Figure 3 which shows the health and
educational consequences of energy poverty. Energy poverty has far-reaching consequences,
as fuel prices, low incomes and energy-inefficient homes, large family size which are all part

9
8
Systemace reviews of studies (n)

7
6
5
4
3
2

Figure 2. 1
Number of 0
systematic reviews of 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
studies identified Year of publicaon
over time
Source: Authors’ formulation
 Selection # Comparability b Exposure a
Author reference and Representativeness of the Sample size Non- Ascertainment of Based on design and Assessment of Statistical Clear Overall
year sample justification respondents exposure analysis outcome test variables score

Njiru and Letema (2018) $ $ $ $ $ $ $ – 7

Carrere et al. (2021) $ $ $ $ $$ $ $ – 8
Oum (2019) $ $ – $ $$ $ $ – 7
Banerjee et al. (2021) $ $ – $ – $ $ $ 6
Phoumin and Kimura $ $ $ – $ $ $ – 6
(2019)
Sambodo and Novandra $ $ $ $ $ $ $ – 7
(2019)
Churchill and Smyth $ $ – $ – $ $ $ 6
(2021)
Nawaz (2021) $ $ – $ – – $ – 4
Adom et al. (2021) $ $ $ – $ $ $ 6
Apergis et al. (2022) $ $ $ $ $$ – – – 6
Crentsil et al. (2019) $ $ $ $ $$ $ – 7
D. Zhang et al. (2019) $ $ $ $ – – $ – 5
Mohan (2021) $ – $ $ – $ $ $ 6
Sule et al. (2022) $ $ – $ – $ $ $ 6
Oliveras et al. (2021) – – – $ $$ $ $ $ 6
Lin and Okyere (2020) $ $ – $ $ $ $ $ 7
Thomson et al. (2017) $ $ $ $ $$ $ $ $ 9
Hernandez (2016) $ – – $ $ – – – 3
Sovacool (2012) – – – $ $ $ – – 3
Kose (2019) $ $ – $ $$ $ $ $ 8
Pan et al. (2021) $ $ $ – $ $ $ – 6
Grey et al. (2017) $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 8

Notes: $ = represents rank in terms of quality of the study based on parameters defined in #, b and a; # = total 4 stars – represents the quality of selection
based on representativeness of the sample, sample size justification, nonrespondents and ascertainment of exposure; b = total 2 stars – represents quality based
on comparability of design and analysis; a = total 3 stars – represents quality of exposure based on assessment of outcome, statistical test and clarity of
variables
Source: Author’s formulation

per Newcastle-
Table 1.

appraisal of the
Results of quality
419
Energy

Ottawa scale
included studies as
poverty
 18,2

420

reviewed
IJESM

Table 2.
Summary of the
results of the studies
Study Impacts of energy poverty on health and
Ref (Year) Issue addressed location Methodology used Sample size (n) and nature of study education

Njiru and Energy poverty and its Kirinyaga/ Review study Review study Energy poverty deteriorates the
Letema implication on trendy of Kenya availability of health care – will increase
(2018) dwelling in Kirinyaga, maternal and baby mortality, thereby
Kenya reducing life expectancy. It has a
destructive effect on literacy, as low cost
and clean energy effects in a better way
for managing water, sanitation, lighting
fixtures and cooking in hostels and
boarding faculties, more qualified
teachers by using allowing them to apply
digital gadget and digitize gaining
knowledge of, and modern fuels get rid of
the want to gather gasoline wood,
thereby allowing rural kids to spend
extra time for studying
Carrere Energy poverty, its Barcelona/ Cross-sectional study A cross-sectional study of energy poor The prevalence of poor physical and
et al. (2021) depth and health in Spain used Poisson population (1,799 women and 671 men) mental health was considerably severe
susceptible populations regression models and non-energy poor population (1,393 among women and men of energy poor
in a Southern European women and 1,215 men) used data from population compared to the non-energy
town BPHS (2016) poor population – people from low-
income and lower social classes,
immigrants and tenants are more likely
to be exposed to the structural
determinants of energy poverty, thereby
increasing their risk of health problems
Oum The impact of energy Lao Regression Used data from Lao PDR Economic Energy poverty affects the health
(2019) poverty on education Peoples’ analysis Consumption Survey (LECSs) status – due to indoor air pollution,
and health in Lao PDR Democratic compounded by households’ living
Republic conditions, such as small space with in-
house kitchen and the lack of modern
latrines. It also negatively affects average
years of school attendance and the
(continued)
 Study Impacts of energy poverty on health and
Ref (Year) Issue addressed location Methodology used Sample size (n) and nature of study education

quality of education – as it limits the

ability of the individuals to take
advantage of improving quality of
schools via the provision of energy-
dependent equipment or by increasing
teacher numbers and quality
Banerjee Energy poverty, well- 50 Regression Used data from 50 developing countries Electricity, clean fuels and inefficient energy
et al. (2021) being and schooling developing analysis in the period 1990–2017 use constitute major components of energy
results countries poverty, and they play an important role in
economic development. As energy
development rises, life expectancy increases,
infant mortality rates decline and more
people complete secondary education and
stay in school longer
Phoumin Cambodia’s energy Cambodia Probit regression Used data from Cambodia’s Economic The study investigated the impacts of
and poverty and its Survey (CSES) (2015) energy poverty on the well-being of
Kimura consequences for social households and found that energy
(2019) prosperity poverty increases the predicted
probability of a household member
getting sick with respiratory disease,
reduce earning ability by 48% compared
to those not affected by energy poverty.
Furthermore, the study confirmed that
energy poverty is strongly associated to
energy access and quality of fuel uses
Sambodo The condition of energy Indonesia Regression Used data from National The villages that have access to
and poverty in Indonesia analysis Social Economic Survey of Indonesia electricity and modern energy (for
Novandra and its effect on welfare based (2016) cooking) are less likely to have
(2019) malnourished people
Churchill Energy poverty and Australia Regression Used 13 waves of representative panel There is negative relationship between
and Smyth well-being analysis data for the Australian adult population energy poverty and self-assessed general
(2021) (HILDA) Survey health
(continued)

Table 2.
421
Energy
poverty
 18,2

422
IJESM

Table 2.
Study Impacts of energy poverty on health and
Ref (Year) Issue addressed location Methodology used Sample size (n) and nature of study education

Nawaz Energy poverty, Pakistan Logistic regression Used data of HIES 2018–2019, conducted The empirical results based on logistic
(2021) environment shocks by the PBS. The HIES covers 24,809 regression show that energy
and well-being households across Pakistan poverty positively and significantly
hardships impacts health poverty
Adom Energy poverty and Sri Lanka Regression Used annual time series data related to The effect of energy poverty on income,
et al. (2021) change to analysis real GDP per capita, life expectancy, education, life expectancy, employment
environmentally environmental risk, risk of drinking and mobile phone subscriptions is
friendly power energy unsafe water, income inequality, level of negative while it has a positive effect on
employment, etc. from 1960 to 2017 poverty, income inequality and the risk of
drinking dangerous water
Apergis Energy neediness and Developing Correlation Used a sample of 30 developing The education–energy poverty nexus is
et al. (2022) education countries coefficients and economies, spanning the period 2001– strongly supported by statistical
Dickey–Fuller 2016 evidence that link education and energy
regressions poverty negatively. It is evident from this
finding that low educational attainment
households have limited access to clean
energy forms, such as electricity, and
most of them use unclean forms of energy
(e.g. biomass fuels and fossil fuels) that
create high levels of carbon emissions.
The study further revealed that poverty
was also correlated positively and
statistically significantly with other
covariates, such as economic growth,
energy intensity and electricity
consumption
Crentsil Determinants and Ghana Logistic regressions Used data from the Energy poverty in Ghana is a
et al. (2019) drivers of multi-layered GDHS, implemented by GSS, GHS and multidimensional phenomenon.
energy poverty in the National Public Health Education has a positive impact on the
Ghana situation. The promotion of formal
schooling remains a crucial strategy for
reducing Ghana’s energy poverty and
(continued)
 Study Impacts of energy poverty on health and
Ref (Year) Issue addressed location Methodology used Sample size (n) and nature of study education

raising living standards over the long

term
Zhang Multidimensional China Simple OLS Used data from Chinese General Social Multidimensional energy poverty has
et al. (2019) energy poverty and its regressions, Durbin– Survey (CGSS) 2015 detrimental effects on both mental and
effects on physical and Wu–Hausman test physical health. Moreover, the findings
emotional well-being show that the health of residents in less
developed areas is more severely
impacted, and multidimensional energy
poverty damages the physical health of
rural residents, while affecting the mental
health of urban residents
Mohan Threat of energy Ireland Panel logistic 8,568 families of nine-year-old children, According to the findings, some families
(2021) poverty for youngsters regression models used longitudinal data from two cohorts reported that they were not sufficiently
in Ireland adjusted for a range – an Infant Cohort (aged 9 months to heating their home, indicating negative
of covariates 5 years) and a Child Cohort (aged 9 years consequences for respiratory health and
to 17–18 years) overall health for infants and young
children. Mitigating energy poverty can
address the health, social and economic
inequalities caused by inequity in energy
access and use, as well as promote energy
justice
Sule et al. Effect of energy African Panel cointegration, Used data for 33 African countries Children’s mortality, educational
(2022) poverty on education countries causality and fully inequality and energy poverty are
disparity and baby modified ordinary negatively correlated, with significant
mortality in African least squares correlations between them having a
nations unidirectional causality. A state
intervention to improve access to energy
may reduce the mortality rate for children
under 5, as well as shorten the gap
between rural and urban areas in terms of
educational opportunities
(continued)

Table 2.
423
Energy
poverty
 18,2

424
IJESM

Table 2.
Study Impacts of energy poverty on health and
Ref (Year) Issue addressed location Methodology used Sample size (n) and nature of study education

Oliveras Relationship of energy Barcelona/ Poisson regression A cross-sectional study used data from In Barcelona there is an important public
et al. (2021) poverty with health and Spain models with robust the BHS for 2016 (n = 481 children under health issue of energy poverty, whose
well-being in children in variance 15 years) distribution is highly unequal and
a Mediterranean City negatively impacts children’s health. It
was strongly related to poor health in
children, such as poor mental health and
overweight
Lin and Multifaceted energy Ghana Logistic regression Used data from a two-wave of There is a link between energy poverty
Okyere poverty and mental technique socioeconomic panel household survey and mental illness. It has been found that
(2020) health on Ghana in 2010 and 2015 energy poverty increases the likelihood of
being mildly, moderately or severely
depressed by 0.562, 1.494 and 1.867 times,
respectively
Thomson Health and energy 32 Logistic regression Used 2012 data from the European Over the majority of countries in Europe,
et al. (2017) poverty in Europe European analysis Quality of Life Survey of 32 European the energy poor reported poor health and
countries countries lower levels of emotional well-being than
non-energy poor individuals. This was
accompanied by higher rates of bad and
very bad self-reported health (SRH), low
emotional well-being and depression. The
largest health and well-being disparities
between energy poor and non-energy
poor households were found in relatively
equal societies, such as Sweden and
Slovenia
Hernandez Understanding ’energy Boston/ Inductive analytic Convenience sample (n = 72) from There were negative health outcomes
(2016) instability’ and why it USA approach Boston area associated with the energy insecurity
is important to well- problem. Whether residing in a rental
being unit or owned, economic and physical
hardships and negative behaviours have
drastically affected resident health.
Specifically, using a stove for heating
(continued)
 Study Impacts of energy poverty on health and
Ref (Year) Issue addressed location Methodology used Sample size (n) and nature of study education

purposes can cause harmful exposures

and compromise health status (chronic
parental/child stress, asthma
exacerbations, mental health triggers)
Sovacool Political economy of Developing Review study Review of existing studies in developing There are serious health concerns
(2012) energy neediness countries countries associated with energy poverty,
including indoor air pollution, injuries
from fuelwood collection, and lack of
refrigeration and medical care in areas
lacking electricity. Children and adults
suffering from energy poverty are also at
a disadvantage in terms of their
educational opportunities
Kose Energy destitution and Turkey Multilevel modelling/ Used data provided by ILCS of Turkey Energy poverty is a widely observed
(2019) well-being in Turkey empirical analysis for 2014 and the survey is conducted by problem. People in energy poor
the TSI with a sample of 24,554 households have difficulties maintaining
households basic living conditions, which have a
major impact on their health. Study
findings indicated that energy poverty
has significant negative effects on health
outcomes for children, adults, and the
elderly. Consequently, energy poverty
and poor health conditions tend to coexist
together. For policymakers to be able to
deal with health issues linked to energy
poverty, it is suggested that they focus
first on individuals and households
Pan et al. Energy neediness and Global Oster’s (2019) bound Used annual data for a broad panel of It is detrimental to the public’s health
(2021) general well-being: study analysis and the 175 countries over the period from 2000 when there is energy poverty. The level
global proof covers 175 system generalized to 2018 of living can have a strong influence over
countries method of moments health, and countries with higher
(GMM) standards of living will be able to
(continued)

Table 2.
425
Energy
poverty
 18,2

426
IJESM

Table 2.
Study Impacts of energy poverty on health and
Ref (Year) Issue addressed location Methodology used Sample size (n) and nature of study education

moderate the adverse effects of energy

poverty. The findings have important
implications for public health policies and
transitioning to renewable energy
sources
Grey et al. The transient well- Wales/UK Multilevel modelling, Used survey data between 2013 and 2015 The objective of this study was to assess
(2017) being and psychosocial repeated measures the short-term health impacts of
effects of home-grown approach investing in energy efficiency among low-
energy proficiency income communities. There was no
correlation between access to energy and
improvement of physical and mental
health, or a reduction of self-reported
respiratory and asthma symptoms

Notes: BPHS = Barcelona Public Health Survey; HILDA = Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia; HIES = Household Integrated Economic
Survey; PBS = Pakistan Bureau of Statistics; GDHS = Ghana Demographic and Health Survey; GSS = Ghana Statistical Service; GHS = Ghana Statistical Service;
LCS = Living Conditions Survey; BHS = Barcelona Health Survey; TSI = Turkish Statistical Institute; ILCS = Income and Living Conditions Survey
Source: Author’s formulation
of energy poverty, affect health and education inequalities. People who are living in energy Energy
poverty face many health issues, such as poor physical and mental health, high maternal and poverty
child mortality rates, malnutrition, a decrease in life expectancy, depression, asthma
exacerbations and injuries from collecting wood for fuelwood. As a result of deteriorating
health, their ability to attend school decreases (Sharma and Katoch, 2018), which has an
adverse effect on their earning capacity later in life (Katoch et al., 2017; Katoch and Sharma,
2017). Energy poverty lowers the number of years children attend school, reduces school
outcomes, creates a poverty situation, increases dropout rates and lowers their ability to earn. 427
Our review explored the impacts of energy poverty on health and education and it was
found that it affects both adversely. Generally, energy poverty is more prevalent nowadays,
affecting people’s lives negatively as opposed to earlier times when less dependence on
energy services was required. Today, we rely on digital and electrical appliances,
machinery, and equipment for cooking, heating, producing, communicating and traveling all
of which require modern energy services. It was noticed that energy poverty rates varied
between studies, possibly as a result of different measurement scales, different methods and
perhaps different definitions applied to different countries. As an example, in one of the
studies, the probability of poor self-perceived physical and mental health was 2.2–5.3 times

Type of effects 2012–2014 2015–2017 2018–2020 2021–2022 Table 3.

The distribution of
Shows negative effects on education only 0 (0.00) 0 (0.00) 1 (4.55) 1 (4.55) 22 studies conducted
Shows negative effects on health only 1 (4.55) 2 (9.09) * 6 (27.27) 5 (22.73)
Shows negative effects on education and health 0 (0.00) 0 (0.00) 2 (9.09) 3 (13.64)
between 2012 and
2022 based on their
Source: Authors’ compilation; *One study (Grey, 2017) conducted in 2017 has shown no impact of energy effects on health and
poverty on health education

1. Poor physical & mental health

2. Increase maternal and child mortality
3. Malnutrion
4. Decrease life expectancy
Health Impacts 5. Increase the risk of reparatory disease
6. Depression
7. Low level of well-being and bad self-reported health.
8. Asthma exacerbaons
9. Injures from fuelwood collecon.
Energy
Poverty
1. Affects average years of school aendance
2. Lower school outcomes
3. Low level of educaon creates poverty situaon.
Educaon Impacts 4. Creates educaonal inequality
5. Increase dropouts Figure 3.
6. Low level of educaon affects earning of the people Health and education
impacts of energy
poverty
Source: Authors’ compilation
IJESM higher in the energy poor group (Carrere, 2021), and in another it was 1.41 times higher in
18,2 households with energy poverty (Mohan, 2021). According to another study (Grey, 2017),
people who are access to energy poor has shown no improvement of physical and mental
health, or a reduction of self-reported respiratory and asthma symptoms.

4.3 Susceptibility populations

428 The studies identified a number of predictive factors. For example, females were more likely to
suffer from respiratory diseases, such as lungs disease, due to household air pollution, burns
caused by unsafe fuel in the kitchen (Crentsil et al., 2019) and injuries caused by collecting fossils
for cooking (Sovacool, 2012). In addition, many females who are involved in preparing food in the
kitchen and collecting fossils for cooking are at risk of health and education losses.

5. Policy implications
Accordingly, the policy recommendations are:
 The existence of energy poverty impacts people’s lives in a manner that degrades
health and education, which are very important aspects of modern life. A concerted
effort must be made to improve the economic conditions of the people, in order to
give them access to energy services to achieve higher standard of living.
 There is a need to provide affordable energy services to people who are living in energy
poverty. One possible way to achieve that would be to emphasize the use of solar energy
solutions such as solar cooking, solar heating and solar light, which are inexpensive and
accessible to the lower income groups and the people living in far-flung areas.

6. Conclusions and policy implications

As a source of modern fuels for cooking, heating, lighting, refrigeration, communications,
commercial enterprises and transportations, energy contributes significantly to economic
development. Based on the results of this systematic review, there is increasing evidence that
energy poverty is negatively impacting and highly interconnected with health and education. It
affects the health of the people, while deteriorating health makes it difficult for them to attain
education, which impacts their earning capacity later in life. Globally, access to clean energy is
becoming a priority, and a number of governments are committed to reaching this goal because
financial development, education, economic development, infrastructure and industrialization are
positively correlated with energy access. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic review that
examines the educational and health impacts of energy poverty. The lower-income sections of
society are more likely to be affected than those in higher income brackets. Even though previously
conducted systematic reviews between 2012 and 2022 documented the detrimental effects of energy
poverty on a variety of health and educational outcomes, our findings indicate that the effect is
equally severe today. This is something that should concern governments as well as policymakers,
as it could threaten the efforts to achieve the clean and affordable energy targets. Our findings show
that regardless of the policies in place to promote access to clean and affordable energy, further
research and action are needed.

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Corresponding author
Om Raj Katoch can be contacted at: orkatoch@[Link]

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