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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GLOBAL RESEARCH INNOVATIONS & TECHNOLOGY (IJGRIT) [ Vol. 4 | No. 1 | January - March, 2026 ]

Household Energy Use and Electricity Access in India: Patterns and Inequalities Across Regions and Sectors

Shruti Kashyap

Access to modern, clean energy sources such as LPG and electricity is central to India’s inclusive economic development. Adoption of clean and modern energy is vital in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7, i.e., ‘ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all’. Over the past decade, India’s energy policies have expanded electricity connections and promoted the widespread use of clean cooking fuels like LPG. However, dependence on traditional fuels such as wood, coal, and cow dung persists in some areas across states, regions, and sectors. This paper provides a descriptive assessment of household energy use and electricity across India using the National Family Health Survey(NFHS-5), 2019-21. The Study explores the proportion of the population that relies on traditional fuels (such as firewood, dung cakes, crop residue, coal, and charcoal) and modern fuels (LPG, piped natural gas, biogas, and electricity) for cooking at national, regional, and sectoral, and state levels. The study further examines the proportion of the population with access to electricity for lighting purposes, raising questions about the barriers, such as affordability, infrastructure, or awareness, that hinder universal access. The findings show near-universal electrification across India, with 96.8% of households having electricity. The findings also reveal significant heterogeneity in fuel use across geography and settlement type. While modern fuel adoption has expanded, traditional biomass remains prevalent in rural areas and in several eastern and northern states, highlighting the need for tailored interventions.

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