Firewood and Chips Consumption in Bottom and Top Quartile Groups

This chapter explores further the determinants of consumption of firewood and chips in bottom- and top-income quartile groups of households in rural India. The results reflect that socio-economic determining factors in fuel selection are different from the quantity choice of selected fuel. Household composition, features of household head, land and castes increase the probability of firewood and chips selection at the bottom quartile, while the second hurdle shows a different set of factors with opposite signs. Income, household composition, scheduled tribe (ST), religious groups and education of household head at the primary level determine the positive amount of firewood and chips consumption, while factors like land, sex of the household head, scheduled caste (SC), other backward classes (OBC), etc. reduce quantity consumption. From the entire quartile results, the change in economic position has both direct and indirect effects on fuel consumption decision.