A large part of the energy used by households is in the form of traditional fuels such as biomass, animal dung, and collected firewood. As in most developing countries, there is a sharp divide between the urban and rural household energy consumption structure. As cities expand, their energy budgets rise steeply. Indications are that the present trend of concentration towards bigger cities cannot be sustained. Sustainable development would need a more balanced urban growth with accelerated development of small and medium towns, on an ecologically sound basis.
Urbanisation leads to greater demand for commercial fuels.
At the same time, biomass fuels, particularly firewood, do not lose their importance, and their supplies also need to be planned for. The fuel-mix chosen by a household depends on the supply and cost of fuels. The present urban energy system is inequitable, causing undue hardship to the poor. There is a need to draw up an integrated energy supply and pricing framework, keeping the specific problems of the urban poor in focus. Estimate the energy demand by end use for changing demographic patterns across income levels in five year periods until 2012.