Connection Charges and Electricity Access in Sub-Saharan Africa

Golumbeanu, Raluca ; Barnes, Douglas

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY;    ACCESS TO FINANCING;    ACCESS TO GRID ELECTRICITY;    ACCESS TO MODERN ENERGY;    ACCESSIBILITY;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-6511
RP-ID  :  WPS6511

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

Sub-Saharan Africa trails other regionsin providing access to electricity for poor urban and ruralresidents. This poor performance can be linked to variousfactors, including political interference in utility policy,higher investment costs and lower profitability of extendingservice to rural areas. But a major obstacle to wider accessis the high charges consumers must pay to connect to theelectricity network. The connection charges in Sub-SaharanAfrica are among the highest in the world, which hasresulted in low rates of electrification in many countries.This paper reviews ways to improve electrification rates byaddressing the issue of high connection charges. Essentialto the success of such efforts is concurrent politicalcommitment to identify, examine, and implement variouslow-cost electrification approaches and financing solutionsas part of a broad plan to improve access. Electricitycompanies can lower their connection-related costs, and thusconsumer charges, by using a variety of low-costtechnologies and materials in distribution networks andhousehold connections; making bulk purchases of materials;and adjusting technical standards to reflect the lower loadsof households that use a minimum amount of electricity.Strategies for lowering connection charges may also includespreading charges over a reasonable period, rolling theminto monthly service payments, subsidizing connections, oramortizing them through loans. Lowering connection chargesis not the only step, but it is an essential part of anystrategy for addressing the electricity access gap betweenrich and poor households in Sub-Saharan Africa, a gap thatdenies millions of poor Africans the benefits of electricity.