Spatial Analysis of the Impact of Targeted Subsides Law on Household Energy Consumption (Case Study: Electricity Consumption - Isfahan City)

Based on the official statistics of Iran, the higher deciles of the community have assigned a greater share of energy consumption and subsidy to themselves in comparison to lower deciles. Accordingly, one of the main goals of the 9th government to execute targeted subsides law has been establishing the required infrastructures for more equitable distribution of energy consumption in the household sector. With an emphasis on geographical segregation of social classes in urban communities, the current research has spatially analyzed the impact of targeted subsides law on household electricity consumption in 14 districts of Isfahan city after passing about 3 years of executing this law (the end of the first phase). To this purpose, first, using TOPSIS method for multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) and entropy weight, Isfahan urban districts were ranked in terms of Social-Economical Status of the household sector through 32 measures in the form of 3 main criteria (Socio-economical, infrastructural - residential and cultural-educational), and then using hierarchical clustering method, Isfahan metropolitan districts were clustered at five levels. After that, inferential statistical tests were used in order to explain differences amongst clusters in terms of the reduction of household electricity consumption after the execution of targeted subsides law. In addition to field study method, the required data were gathered using organizational documents and evidence by referring to Isfahan Electricity Distribution Company. The selected sample in attitude survey method consisted of 103 households and in efficiency survey method consisted of 365 households living in Isfahan city districts which have been selected through random clustering method. Results obtained from this research showed no significant differences between 5 clusters of Isfahan metropolitan in terms of the reduction of household electricity consumption after law execution. This shows that targeted subsides law has not successfully acted to attain one of its most important goals in the first executive phase.