Fuel poverty in Summer: An empirical analysis using microdata for Japan

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Sociology
• Economics

Background:

• Traditional fuel poverty definitions focus on winter heating costs, based on European criteria.
• These criteria are inadequate for regions with significant summer heat, necessitating consideration of cooling expenses.
• The concept of fuel poverty requires adaptation to address cooling affordability in diverse climatic conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine potential fuel poverty households in Japan during summer.
• To identify the occurrence conditions and contributing factors for summer fuel poverty.
• To adapt the definition of fuel poverty to include cooling costs in a Japanese context.

Main Methods:

• Utilized microdata from a survey of Japanese households.
• Estimated fuel poverty based on summer cooling expenses.
• Conducted binomial logistic regression analysis to determine factors influencing fuel poverty.

Main Results:

• 0.93% of surveyed households reported direct fuel poverty.
• 5.53% of households experiencing poverty were classified as fuel-poor.
• Vulnerable groups include elderly couples in older/larger homes with outdated air conditioners, and single-parent households.

Conclusions:

• Elderly households are particularly susceptible to fuel poverty due to low income and high electricity costs for cooling.
• The study underscores the need for region-specific definitions of fuel poverty that account for local climate and energy needs.
• Policy interventions should consider the unique challenges faced by vulnerable populations in affording essential cooling.