Multidimensional Energy Poverty Deprivation among Households in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Abstract

Energy poverty is increasingly viewed as a multidimensional challenge that extends beyond access to electricity connections to encompass clean cooking, appliance ownership, and digital access. Although Indonesia has achieved near-universal electrification, little is known about how energy poverty evolves at the provincial level, particularly in Yogyakarta, where rural–urban inequalities persist. This study applies the Multidimensional Energy Poverty Index (MEPI), based on the Alkire–Foster method, to Survei Sosial Ekonomi Nasional (SUSENAS) data for the years 2021–2023, covering approximately 4,000 households per year. Five equally weighted indicators — namely, cooking fuel, electricity access, appliances, entertainment/education devices, and communication facilities — were used, with a cutoff of 0.30 to identify energy-poor households. The results show that the incidence of energy poverty declined from 19.8% in 2021 to 14.4% in 2023, while the intensity of deprivation remained stable at approximately 44%. Gunung Kidul consistently exhibited the highest deprivation, while Bantul and Yogyakarta City recorded the lowest. Cooking fuel and communication were the most significant contributors, with communication deprivation rising to affect more than half of households by 2023. The findings highlight that energy poverty in Yogyakarta is no longer primarily about access to electricity, but rather about the ability to use energy effectively, underscoring the need for policies that promote clean cooking, affordable appliances, and digital inclusion to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7.