Every year an estimated seventy percentof Tajikistan's population suffers from severeelectricity shortages in winter. The energy sector wasaffected by dramatic changes over the last few decades -regional energy cooperation was disrupted after the break-upof the Soviet Union, gas imports were interrupted, and thestate was unable to invest adequately in the maintenance ofthe national energy infrastructure. Tajikistan has beenfacing severe power shortages in winter months since thedistrict heating system collapsed and households as aconsequence started to use electricity for heating purposes.This report assesses energy deprivation in Tajikistan withan emphasis on the human dimension, paying special attentionto rural areas. It takes a broad look at household energysecurity, affordability, and coping mechanisms, in order toinform short and medium-term policies to mitigate energydeprivation. Firstly, it analyzes energy use and spendingpatterns across diverse groups of consumers, low andmiddle-income, rural and urban, people who live in housesand those who live in apartments, as the type of energy useddetermines household vulnerability. Secondly, it examinesimpacts of energy expenses on the household budget, andstrategies adopted to cope with energy payments. Thirdly, itcollects consumer attitudes towards potential measures toimprove energy security and affordability, such as socialassistance and support to improve energy efficiency. Itexplores the conditions under which an electricity tariffincrease would gain acceptance among consumers. Fourthly andlastly, the report simulates the quasi-fiscal impact and thetargeting performance of a series of measures that couldcushion the impact of rising energy expenditure.
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