Fuel-stacking behaviour among households in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: The role of experience

In many developing nations, modern energy sources are seen not only as cleaner and more efficient than traditional fuels, but also as important for achieving socio-economic development. Hence, from an energy policy perspective, households should switch to using modern energy sources. However, even when such sources are available, many households continue to use traditional fuels for cooking, often in combination with their modern counterparts. This study examines the effects of Dar es Salaam households' experience with using various fuels on fuel stacking behaviour and demand for individual fuels. The study finds a fuel-stacking behaviour, where most households combine LPG and charcoal for cooking. It also finds that households’ fuel choices are highly sensitive to their prior fuel-use experience. The results imply that achieving shifts to new fuels is easier if households have had at least some experience with those fuels. Hence, energy policies that aim to give households experience in using new fuels may make future energy switches easier to attain. • Modern energy services are key to achieving the country's desired socio-economic development. • Heavy dependence on traditional fuels has been linked to environmental degradation. • Fuel use experience makes the household more likely to continue using it. • Households have at least experimented with using different fuels, tended to have a fuel-stacking behaviour. • Energy policies promoting households experience with different fuels may make future energy shifts easier.