Household energy consumption and energy poverty in Turkey: A quantile regression analysis

Since energy is a part of the basic needs of individuals, energy poverty has become a topic that occupies the global agenda. The main purpose of this study is to discuss the extent to which households in Turkey are energy poor and to examine the characteristics of energy-poor households, as well as to determine the economic and socio-demographic variables that affect household energy consumption, and to determine the variables that affect household energy expenditures with the help of expenditure quantiles. In addition, one of the aims of this study is whether Turkey's energy type preference structure complies with the energy ladder hypothesis. In the thesis study, data obtained from the International Energy Agency (IEA), 2022 Turkish Statistical Institute Household Final Energy Consumption Statistics data and 2019 and 2022 Turkish Statistical Institute Household Budget Survey data set were used. In line with the objectives of the study, the evaluation was first made in the application section in the light of data related to energy supply, production and consumption in Turkey. Then, the preferred fuel types according to expenditure groups in 2019 and 2022 were analyzed and thus it was concluded that Turkey complies with the energy ladder hypothesis. Then, using the quantile regression method, the variables affecting energy expenditures were analyzed and the increase in total expenditure, the increase in the age of the household head, the increase in the number of rooms in the household and the increase in the number of individuals living in the household were found to be the main variables that increase energy expenditures. Then, using the logit model, the economic and socio-demographic variables affecting energy poverty were analyzed and while being a homeowner and the head of the household being a woman were found to be the variables that reduce energy poverty, the head of the household being married, the increase in the number of household members and the increase in the number of rooms in the household were found to be the main variables that increase energy poverty. Keywords: Energy poverty, energy consumption, energy ladder hypothesis, quantile regression model, logit model.