The Role of Alternative Fuel Access in Changing the Pattern of Household Energy Consumption among the Zagros Forest Villagers

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of access to alternative fuels (e.g. kerosene, liquefied petroleum gas, and natural gas) in changing patterns of household energy consumption in the Zagros forest. The research was descriptive and based on the survey technique. The statistical population consisted of residents of three forest villages from Khorramabad County, Lorestan Province. Each of these villages had a different energy consumption pattern. Malimdoul village lacks alternative fuel for firewood, Chenarbagali village with kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and Shahanshah village had access to piped natural gas. The sample consisted of 146 households from three villages, that selected by a simple random sampling method. The main research tool for data collection was a structured questionnaire. The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by the opinion of university professors and researchers. The results showed that firewood was the main fuel in the village without the station of kerosene and LPG. In this village, firewood constituted 92.3 percent of the total annual household energy consumption (10865.7 kilogramss of Standard Coal). The villagers used a combination of fossil fuels and firewood in the village with the station of kerosene and LPG. However, in this village firewood consumption constituted 72.6 percent of the total annual household energy consumption (6328.8 kilograms of Standard Coal). However, natural gas was the main fuel in the village that supplied with natural gas and comprised 68.2 percent of total household energy consumption annually (2579.4 kilograms of Standard Coal). Overall, the results showed that natural gas supply to forest villages reduces firewood consumption more efficiently and also reduces annual energy consumption.