RESULTS
3.1 CONSUMPTION OF FUELS
3.1.4 Coal
3.1.5 Gas
Consumption of gas
The percentage of households using gas in Bushbuckridge went down from a recorded 14% in 1991 to 5% in 2002 (Table 18). Per capita consumption rates of gas also reduced from 0.2 to 0.1 kg per capita per month in 1991 and 2002 respectively. Only a few households in 2002 used gas.
There was no significant difference in the monthly household consumption of gas between 1991 and 2002 (Z= -1.01, p> 0.0001). The mean monthly consumption among users in all the settlements was 13.4 and 11.3 kg per household in 1991 and 2002 respectively.
Table 18. Total sample and household (gas users only) gas use and monthly use rates. Standard errors for household variables are given beneath the means.
Settlement
1991 2002
% HH using fuel
kg per capita
kg per HH Cost per Kg
% HH using fuel
kg per capita
kg per HH Cost per kg
A’ol 11 0.2 14.0
4.7
R3.00 R0.24
13 0.3 17.1
4.7
R6.20 R0.12
O’boom 13 0.1 10.4
2.2
R2.77 R0.18
R’le 23 0.4 16.0
2.2
R3.35 R0.46
3 0.08 17.4
2.3
R5.75 R0.55
W’nd 13 0.1 11.3
2.1
R3.61 R0.46
4 0.08 13.7
9.2
R4.75 R0.81
X’thia 10 0.2 15.8
6.0
R2.92 R0.40
4 0.05 8.4
1.0
R6.29 R0.51
Mean 14 0.2 13.5
3.4
R3.13 R0.35
4.8 0.1 11.3
3.4
R4.59 R0.50
The monthly consumption among the settlements varied very little between the two years (Fig. 7).
An examination of the variation across the settlements did not review any significant difference (F= 0.092, df 1.45, p>0.0001).
Fig. 7. Monthly consumption of gas by settlements in Bushbuckridge.
Main use of gas
In general, the major use of gas in both years was cooking, with the exception of Athol (Table 19). Respondents in Athol in both years reported the use of gas for refrigeration as the
major use of the fuel. Other settlements had switched to electricity for refrigeration purposes.
Table 19. Main use of gas by households using it. Data are percentage of users.
Main use
1991 2002
A’ol O’boom R’le W’nd X’thia Mean A’ol O’boom R’le W’nd X’thia Mean
Cooking 25 78 47 56 71 55 50 67 100 43
Refrigeration 63 11 41 33 29 35 100 50 30
Lighting 13 11 6 6 33 7
Heating tea water
6 1
1991 2002
A'ol O'boom R'le W'nd X'thia
Settlement 0
3 6 9 12 15 18
Kg per month per household
Respondents in 2002 no longer used gas for ironing (Table 20). They had instead switched to electric irons and irons heated by charcoal for the purpose of pressing their clothes. Some respondents in Rolle and Welverdiend reported the use of gas for welding in 2002. This practise was never reported in any settlement in 1991.
Table 20. Other uses of gas by households using it. Data show percentage of users.
Other uses
1991 2002
A’ol O’boom W’nd R’le X’thia Mean A’ol O’boom W’nd R’le X’thia Mean Heating tea
water
67 12 11 43 27 34 7
Ironing 13 11 12 11 43 18
Heating washing water
13 22 6 22 14 15 2
Cooking 24 22 9 11
Refrigeration 6 1
Heating house
11 2
None 88 33 65 56 43 57 67 100 67 47
Welding Lighting
22 33 11
Appliances with which gas is used
Apart from Athol, users in both years used stoves as their major appliance (Table 21). In Athol, refrigerators remained popular in both years.
Table 21. Appliances with which gas is used by households using it. Data show percentage of users.
Appliance
1991 2002
A’ol O’boom R’le W’nd X’thia Mean A’ol O’boom R’le W’nd X’thia Mean
Stove 14 78 56 89 57 59 30 50 100 100 100 76
Refrigerator 71 11 50 33 29 39 100 50 30
Hotplate 6 29 7
Lamp 14 11 6 6
Reasons for not using gas by non-users
Lack of appliances and expense were largely the reasons for not using the fuel by non-users in
popular reason for not using gas. Other reasons raised in both years included the preference for other fuels, dislike for gas and non-availability of the fuel in the area. Some respondents in 2002 simply had no need of gas. This response either meant they had no energy needs that required the use of gas or they had other fuels that they could use in place of gas.
Table 22. Reasons for not using gas as reported by non-users. Data are percentages of non-users.
Reasons
1991 2002
A’ol O’boom R’le W’nd X’thia Mean A’ol O’boom R’le W’nd X’thia Mean
No appliances 47 24 57 25 43 39 32 31 28 18
Expensive 21 22 14 40 20 23 32 60 26 24
Dangerous 21 27 20 10 20 20 41 14 35 18
Not available locally
10 27 11 3 20 14 4 1 3 1
Prefer others fuels
10 2 2 2 5 10 2 4
Difficult to obtain
3 0.6 2 2 1
Appliances expensive
5 2 2 2 1 2 0.6
No gas cylinder 2 0.4
Smells bad 2 0.4
Not accustomed
5 5 4 4 3 4
Don’t like it 2 0.4 2 5 1
No special reason
3 0.6
Others 5 1
No need 2 5 3 20 6
Perceived disadvantages and advantages of using gas
Users of gas in both years cited the risk of fire as a major disadvantage of using gas (Table 23). All users in 2002 considered gas as a time bomb in terms of fire risks. In both years, users agreed with non-users that gas was expensive. Gas was also considered to be a health hazard in both years by respondents in Okkerneutboom and Xanthia. One respondent in Xanthia believed that gas was the cause of asthma.
Table 23. Disadvantages of gas use reported by gas users. Data are percentage of users.
Disadvantages
1991 2002
A’ol O’boom R’le W’nd X’thia Mean A’ol O’boom R’le W’nd X’thia Mean
Fire hazard 50 56 65 33 71 55 89 100 100 34 65
Expensive 25 18 22 29 19 11 50 12
Explosion hazard 11 56 13
Poisonous 13 12 11 7
Difficult to transport
25 5
Not easily available
13 3
Health risk 11 2 67 13
Smells bad 11 2
Hurts children 11 2
Fire hazard due to children
14 3
Poisonous to children
14 3
No disadvantage 11 2 11 33 9
Don’t know 13 22 24 33 14 21
The main advantage of gas reported in both years was that it allowed quick cooking (Table 24).
The other advantage was that it provided energy for refrigeration.
Table 24. Advantages of gas use as reported by users. Data are percentage of users.
Advantages
1991 2002
A’ol O’boom R’le W’nd X’thia Mean A’ol O’boom R’le W’nd X’thia Mean
Cooks quickly 13 44 53 33 14 31 30 100 34 33
Smokeless 25 22 18 29 19
Allows refrigeration
24 22 14 12 37 7
Lasts long 38 11 6 14 14
Allows cooking
11 22 14 9 50 33 17
Easy to use 11 6 29 9
Relatively cheap
13 11
Easily available
11 5
Allows ironing 11 5
Provides light 11 5
Fast 11 5
No advantage 13 6 4
Don’t know 13 11 11 7 50 33 17
However the use of gas for refrigeration was only reported in Athol in 2002. Other settlements with electricity no longer used gas for refrigeration. A number of respondents in both years did not know of any advantage of gas.