Gendered Information and Adoption of Improved Energy Technologies in Rural India

This study identifies the impact of information on households’ choice of energy technologies in rural communities of two Indian States: Kerala and Uttar Pradesh. I conducted a randomized control trial with an intervention in the form of information campaigns that provided information benefits and costs of household air pollution and promoted the use of improved energy technologies. This intervention varied by the type of information dissemination and the gender of the information recipient across different treatment groups. I find that the adoption of pressure cookers and improved cookstoves increased when women received information. This result was driven by the adoption rates in Kerala. In contrast, there was increased adoption of LED lamps in both states, regardless of whether women or men received information. The findings from this study underscore the importance of the gendered nature of energy use and the gender-based agency among the factors influencing the energy adoption decisions.