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Investigating energy usage among low income households and implications for fire risk
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2018.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2018
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| _version_ | 1867613895070318592 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Francioli, Alberto |
| author2 | Pharoah, Robyn |
| author_browse | Francioli, Alberto Pharoah, Robyn |
| author_facet | Pharoah, Robyn Francioli, Alberto |
| author_sort | Francioli, Alberto |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2018. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/103422 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:24.214Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publishDateRange | 2018 |
| publishDateSort | 2018 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/103422 Investigating energy usage among low income households and implications for fire risk Francioli, Alberto Pharoah, Robyn Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Geography & Environmental Studies. Energy -- Dwellings -- South Africa Electricity -- Dwellings -- South Africa Fire risk assessment -- Dwellings -- South Africa Low-Income Residential Area -- South Africa Energy stacking -- Dwellings -- South Africa UCTD Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2018. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Fires have been a constant problem amongst residents of low-income residential areas such as Lwandle, Nomzamo and Asanda Village in the City of Cape Town. A common cause of these dwelling fires have been attributed to the usage of unsafe and potentially hazardous forms of energy used for daily activities such as candles, for lighting, paraffin for cooking and boiling water and firewood for heating of dwellings. It has often been prescribed that key to curbing dwelling fires among low-income residential areas is to increase people’s access to more modern and safe forms of energy such as electricity. Yet despite near universal access to electricity in these areas, dwelling fires remain a frequent occurrence because many households continue to utilise non-electric energy sources, as well as increasing reports of fires caused by faulty or informal electric connections. This thesis has set out to examine the energy sources being utilised by low-income households in Lwandle, Nomzamo and Asanda Village, to understand the factors which influence these energy use choices, what implications these energy choices have for fire risk, as well as what measures households employ to mitigate the risk of fire. This research utilised a mixture of qualitative and quantitative data collection methods including focus group sessions with residents and a household survey to collect information on household energy use strategies, perceptions of safety and accessibility of energy sources and experiences of energy related fires from residents residing in different types of dwellings. Based on the findings, the thesis observed that while electricity is the predominant energy source used in the study site, households may be unable to fully utilise it because of financial constraints or issues regarding physically accessibility to and quality of electrical connections. Approximately 67.2% of households were observed employing an energy stacking approach, alternating between electric and non-electric energy sources, namely paraffin, to meet their daily energy needs. A potential consequence of this energy stacking approach employed by households to meet their energy needs is that the majority of households continue to face the risk of a dwelling fire caused by non-electric energy sources. While non-electric energy sources were both perceived and experienced by residents as the main cause of dwelling fires in the study site, electricity was found to contribute to a number of dwelling fires, with a slight increase in the number of fires caused by electric sources observed over the last few years. Despite households being frequently exposed to many potentially hazardous electric and non-electric energy sources, many households implement a number of measures to reduce their exposure and mitigate the risk of experiencing a dwelling fire. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Brande was ‘n voortdurende probleem onder lae-inkomste residensiële inwoners van areas soos Lwandle, Nomzamo en Asanda Dorp in die Stad Kaapstad. ‘n Algemene oorsaak van hierdie brande is toegeskryf aan huishoudings se gebruik van onveilige and potensieel gevaarlike vorme van energie vir daaglikse aktiwiteite soos kerse, beligting, paraffien vir kook en kookwater en vuurmaakhout vir hitte. Die toename in mense se toegang tot meer modern en veiliger vorme van energie soos elektrisiteit is al dikwels voorgeskryf as die sleutel tot die bekamping van woningbrande in lae-inkomste residensiële areas. Tog ten spyte van naby universele toegang tot elektrisiteit in hierdie areas, as gevolg van talle huishoudings wat steeds nie-elektriese energiebronne gebruik, ‘n toename in brande veroorsaak deur foutiewe of informele elektriese konneksies aangemeld, bly woningbrande ‘n gereelde gebeurtenis. Hierdie tesis het uiteengesit om die energiebronne wat deur lae-inkomste huishoudings in Lwandle, Nomzamo en Asanda Dorp gebruik word, die faktore wat hierdie energieverruikskeuses beïnvloed, die implikasies van hierdie energiekeuses op brandrisiko, asook die maatreëls geneem deur huishoudings om brandrisiko te verminder, te ondersoek. Hierdie navorsing het ‘n kombinasie van kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe data-insamelingsmetodes gebruik, insluitend fokusgroep sessies met inwoners en ‘n huishoudingsvraelys om inligting oor huishoudelike energieverbruikstrategieë, persepsies van veiligheid en toeganklikheid van energiebronne, asook energie verwante brandervaringe van inwoners in verskillende tipes wonings, in te samel. Op grond van die bevindinge het hierdie proefskrif waargeneem dat alhoewel elektrisiteit die oorheersende energiebron in die studie-area is, is huishoudings, as gevolg van finansiële beperkings of kwessies rakende fisiese toeganklikheid en kwaliteit van elektriese verbindings, moontlik nie in staat om dit ten volle te benut nie. Ongeveer 67.2% van huishoudings is waargeneem wat ‘n energiestapelingsbenadering volg, waar daar tussen elektriese en nie-elektriese energiebronne soos paraffien, gewissel word, om aan hul daaglikse energiebehoeftes te voorsien. ‘n Potensiële gevolg van hierdie energiestapelingsbenadering gevolg deur huishoudings om aan hul energiebehoeftes te voorsien is dat die meerderheid huishoudings steeds die risiko van woningbrande veroorsaak deur nie-elektriese energiebronne, in die gesig staar. Terwyl inwoners waargeneem en ervaar het dat nie-elektriese energiebronne die hoof oorsaak van woningbrande in die studie-area is, is daar gevind dat elektrisiteit, met ‘n effense toename in die aantal waargenome brande oor die afgelope paar jaar veroorsaak deur elektriese bronne, tot ‘n aantal woningbrande bydra. Ten spyte van huishoudings wat dikwels aan verskeie potensieël gevaarlike elektriese en nie-elektriese energiebronne blootgestel word, implementer baie huishoudings ‘n aantal maatreëls om hul blootstelling aan en risiko van ‘n woningbrand te verminder. Masters 2018-02-20T06:40:47Z 2018-04-09T06:56:00Z 2018-02-20T06:40:47Z 2018-04-09T06:56:00Z 2018-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/103422 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xiii, 113 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Energy -- Dwellings -- South Africa Electricity -- Dwellings -- South Africa Fire risk assessment -- Dwellings -- South Africa Low-Income Residential Area -- South Africa Energy stacking -- Dwellings -- South Africa UCTD Francioli, Alberto Investigating energy usage among low income households and implications for fire risk |
| title | Investigating energy usage among low income households and implications for fire risk |
| title_full | Investigating energy usage among low income households and implications for fire risk |
| title_fullStr | Investigating energy usage among low income households and implications for fire risk |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigating energy usage among low income households and implications for fire risk |
| title_short | Investigating energy usage among low income households and implications for fire risk |
| title_sort | investigating energy usage among low income households and implications for fire risk |
| topic | Energy -- Dwellings -- South Africa Electricity -- Dwellings -- South Africa Fire risk assessment -- Dwellings -- South Africa Low-Income Residential Area -- South Africa Energy stacking -- Dwellings -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/103422 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT franciolialberto investigatingenergyusageamonglowincomehouseholdsandimplicationsforfirerisk |