distributional effects may also occur between countries associated with changes in patterns of trade in fossil fuel brazil has introduced programmes to expand the supply of safe and reliable energy to the poorest segments of society including those living in remote rural areas pereira vasconcelos freitas and da silva show that rural electrification in brazil leads to a significant reduction of the energy poverty level and a consequent improvement in energy equity similar conclusions have been reached for bangladesh barnes khandker and samad where of rural households are energy poor versus that are income poor