The Energy Assistance Fund (EAF) is a voluntary, nonprofit fuel fund that provides grants to income qualified utility customers in an effort to help those customers avoid electricity service disconnection. The administering utility and the energy industry as a whole is undergoing transformative change, resulting in a projected decrease of fundraising capacity for EAF among its most substantial donor pool - utility shareholders and employees. Utility customers represent a small percentage of EAF donors, despite the significant size of the customer base. Through a series of ethnographic interviews and secondary research, this thesis seeks to understand the demographics and motivations of utility customers who donate to EAF in order to help improve EAF’s fundraising strategy and donor solicitations to eventually grow customer donations. The goal of EAF is to maintain or grow donations from 2014 levels so the Fund can continue to serve income qualified customers facing energy poverty. This thesis provides a contextual review of fuel funds; challenges faced by the energy and utility industry; the politics and culture of energy; as well as nonprofit sector fundraising challenges and cultures/motivations of giving. This thesis includes client deliverables such as thick description of donor motivation, motivation themes and a donor motivation map, demographic data which could be used to target solicitations, and lastly a series of recommendations for EAF to improve its fundraising strategy.

This dissertation surveyed Section 8 participants to collect the information necessary to update utility allowances to reflect fy 1983 utility costs. Data was collected regarding the thermal efficiency of units currently under lease and the lifestyles of participants. HUD specified that allowances were to be updated by collecting and analyzing actual energy use data (from previous utility bills if possible). However, VHDA chose to contract with this author to develop a model which could estimate actual energy use from the survey data. Such a model was developed and validated using case studies of Section 8 units that were able to return accurate actual use data; as part of the information requested in the survey. Following model validation, the model was used to update utility allowances and generate a set of allowance worksheets VHDA field agents use when determining levels of assistance under the Section 8 program. A total VHDA utility budget was then estimated by aggregating the individual utility allowances based on the updated worksheets. The new total utility budget was estimated to be $6.2 million while the previous budget was about $3.8 million. This was clearly higher than VHDA had the funds to cover. Therefore solutions were explored to reduce these budget costs and still provide 100% of the cost of utilities. / Ph. D.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / Please refer to full text for abstract.

This thesis, motivated by the paucity of previous research in this subject area, describes an attempt to better understand the extent of poverty in rural Scotland and how the factors associated with that poverty may differ in the rest of the country. By identifying factors showing association uniquely with rural as opposed to urban poverty so policy decisions on targeted rural poverty alleviation could be made. Few such factors appear to have been tested formally for their association with poverty in rural Scotland. Using data from British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) datasets I create an income-based measure to compare levels of poverty across the rurality domain for the general population and several sub-populations. I also test the levels of association that factors found in the literature exhibit with households being in poverty, entering poverty and exiting poverty in both rural and non-rural Scotland. In so doing I highlight some of the data limitations within BHPS, particularly in the number of households in the remote and rural categories of the Scottish Government rural classification system. Under the current Scottish Government rural classification system it is evident that poverty in rural Scotland is lower than in the rest of the country. However, in-work poverty and fuel poverty are significantly higher in rural Scotland, where fluctuations in household fuel prices also appear to have a much quicker impact on poverty levels and levels of workless households than in the rest of the country. This thesis identifies evidence that the current definition of rural Scotland excludes parts of Scotland typically described as rural, with the result that the high levels of poverty in these areas goes unreported in most rural poverty analysis. Areas for further research are suggested, as is an alternative regional typology that may better reflect differences in poverty related factors across Scotland.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid-Afrikaanse Heropbouings Program (HOP) asook die Groei Indiensnemings- en Herverdelingsprogram(GEAR) het ‘n geweldige hoë standaard gestel vir die verskaffing van basiese dienste soos behuising en elektrifisëring vir almal. Die meer effektiewe gebruik van elektriese energie het die sosiale en politieke potensiaal om by te dra tot die sukses van GEAR ten opsigte van die geteikende lae inkomste gemeenskappe waar daar nie tans voldoende elektriese energie beskikbaar is nie. Hierdie studie dek ook die inisiatiewe ten opsigte van effektiewe elektriese energie waaroor die Suid-Afrikaanse regering in vennootskap met Eskom tans navorsing doen om te bepaal of daar enige ekonomiese waarde is, en/of die lae inkomste gemeenskappe deur die sogenoemde inisiatiewe bevoordeel kan word. Die studie sluit ook navorsing in om die bewustheid van die lae inkomste gemeenskappe ten opsigte van effektiewe elektriese energie te bepaal. Die studie kyk verder na verskeie ander voltooide studies ten opsigte van effektiewe energie in lae inkomste gemeenskappe. Alhoewel verskeie ander effektiewe energie programme wel hoë ekonomiese en omgewings voordele uit 'n sosiale oogpunt inhou, is dieselfde programme glad nie aantreklik vir die verbruikers nie. Vir hierdie feit is die regering se bemiddeling wel belangrik. Die uitslag van die studie ondersoek ook die verskillende beleidsopsies (nie in diepte nie) om die struikelblokke van effektiewe energie te oorkom, asook moontlike oplossings vir die regering om die verskille tussen wat goed is vir die gemeenskap, en wat goed is vir die elektriese industrie te oorbrug. Die studie toets ook die bewustheid van effektiewe energie onder die lae inkomste gemeenskappe en hul huidige deelname aan effektiewe energie programme. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa’s Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) as well as Growth Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) set ambitious goals for providing basic services to all, including housing and electrification. More efficient use of electrical energy has the potential to socially and politically support the goals of GEAR, particularly when it is targeted at low-income communities lacking adequate energy services. This study looks at electrical energy efficiency initiatives that the South African government has under taken on its own as well as in partnership with Eskom and to check if there is any economic value that the poor communities may benefit from these initiatives. The study will also check the awareness of poor communities of electrical energy efficiency. Various studies in the subject of energy efficiency in relation to the poor communities that have been done in the past will also be looked at in this study. While many energy efficiency programmes may have significant economic and environmental benefits from a social perspective, they may not be as attractive to utilities and consumers. That is why government intervention is important. As a result this study also examine (not in great depth) the policy options for overcoming the significant barriers to energy efficiency, and ways government can bridge the gap between what is good for society and what is good for the electricity industry. This study extends further on checking the awareness of energy efficiency by the poor communities and their current participation in the energy efficiency programmes.