Does Quality of Electricity Supply Matter for Development? An Evaluation of Service Level Benefits in Nepal

People desire electricity not for its own sake but for the wide-ranging services it provides from lighting, communication and entertainment, refrigeration, and cooking to space conditioning and business development or improvement. That is, electricity is only useful when it powers the appliances, machines, and other devices that yield outcomes favorable to household well-being and quality of life. An extensive body of literature shows that having an electricity connection contributes to enhancing household income, productivity, and children's education, among other types of welfare benefits. The findings of these studies also show that the welfare impacts of electrification vary by the level of service provided and the type of household connection