The core questions improve upon previous national censuses and household surveys by asking about all fuels and technologies used in the household for cooking, heating and lighting. Previous surveys commonly asked only about the primary fuel used for cooking. The core questions capture information on all energy sources used in the home for heating and lighting in addition to cooking, thus providing a more comprehensive understanding of household energy use, including fuel stacking (the use of multiple fuels and devices in parallel). This will improve estimates of pollution exposures in the home.   

Application of the core questions will additionally provide insight on health and gender-specific impacts of household energy use, as well as factors influencing adoption and sustained use of different energy sources. The questions enable data to be collected in a standard way across countries, which will improve global monitoring of progress toward clean energy access.  

Data collected through the questions are essential for monitoring progress toward SDG indicators 7.1.1 (proportion of the population with access to electricity) and 7.1.2 (proportion of the population with primary reliance on clean fuels and technologies). They will enhance understanding of the types of energy systems used in the home and related health impacts. By providing information on current access to safe, modern household energy, the questions will inform the development of policies to address remaining energy access needs and protect health.   

WHO collaborated with governmental institutions and research entities to test and pilot the core questions in several countries, including Ghana, Cameroon, Peru, Honduras, Costa Rica and Belize. To facilitate inclusion in national surveys, the core questions on household energy use are available in three versions, including those that align with common national surveys like UNICEF’s Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and USAID’s Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS).