Cooking Fuel “Stacking” Implications for Willingness to Switch to Clean Fuels in Peri-urban Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

Abstract

Cooking fuel “stacking,” or the use of multiple types of fuels, can be problematic in interventions when households are using both clean and dirty fuels at the same time. Dirty fuels such as firewood contribute to indoor air pollution, cause detrimental health effects, and are inefficient forms of energy. In this study, cooking fuel preference data was collected from 360 households in peripheral-urban Kathmandu, Nepal during August 2019. Respondents provided fuel information and gave economic preferences for a contingent valuation experiment on their reported primary fuel type. We explored two aims through multiple regression analyses: the relationship between fuel stacking behavior and willingness to pay (WTP), and the household characteristics associated with fuel stacking behavior. The analyses showed that stacking does not affect WTP, and household expenses are a significant factor associated with WTP only among households using LPG as their primary fuel. The secondary aim found that the main household characteristics associated with fuel stacking are household size, firewood gathering behavior, and if the household was affected by the 2015 LPG blockade. The relationships of these characteristics are complex and depend on whether the household is using more LPG or more firewood when stacking. More research is needed to better understand fuel stacking, and why most people in peri-urban Kathmandu prefer LPG as their primary fuel.