Lower middle‐income households, on the other hand, reported switching to lower‐quality foods. Low‐income households also reported cutting spending on childcare and education (e.g. sending children to public schools, and economizing on school uniforms and equipment). This group of respondents also reported reducing health expenses by avoiding doctor visits. Some rural households also reported selling livestock in order to pay their bills. These results are consistent with the findings of a household budgeting study conducted by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI, 2014). Finally, social isolation is an indirect result of higher energy prices: some households reported having to stay away from social gatherings such as weddings due to a lack of money to pay for the necessary clothing and gifts.

Households actively reduce their energy usage to manage their electricity costs. Both low‐ income and lower middle income respondents mentioned that they switch off lights in unused spaces, staying in one room with all family members to use fewer lights and fans, sleeping in courtyards in rural areas, wash clothes by hand, and use electrical appliances sparingly. Women are more affected by such measures as their workload increases due to decreased use of electric appliances such as washing machines. Households also appear to invest in energy saving appliances: 68 percent of lower middle‐income households reported purchasing energy saver bulbs and more efficient appliances. Respondents engaged in farming emphasized the potential savings from switching to alternative energy sources such as solar power.

Paying bills in installments is another coping mechanism mentioned by FGD participants.

|**Box 2: Ethnographic Interview I**|
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|**General information about the household**|

The respondent lives in the village of Timargarh in Lower Dir, KPK, with his extended family of ten. For the last 35 years he has worked as a driver. His house is partially constructed and has four rooms. His wife takes care of all the household chores. Both of his children are deaf, and he pays their medical expenses out of his limited income. He has a separate _kunda_ electricity connection in addition to a functioning legal connection. **Expenditures on energy sources** Electricity is mainly used in his home for lighting, and for appliances including fans, a fridge and an iron. The respondent stated that his electricity bills are usually delivered in the last week of the month at the local mosque. The amount varies from Rs. 200 to Rs. 1,000 per month. **Coping mechanisms** The respondent supplements his driver’s income with wages from agricultural work. In order to reduce electricity expenditures, his family makes an effort to turn off all extra lights and to minimize use of the fridge during the winter months.

Some respondents reported that they would not prefer to pay their bills in installments as it creates additional stress on household members. When they pay in installments, they constantly worry about whether they will be able to pay on time. Respondents also saw this method as unattractive, reporting that it sometimes required bribery of officials. Borrowing money is also employed as a coping strategy by some respondents. Around a third of low‐ income respondents mentioned borrowing money from their relatives to pay high bills. The 12