Exploring the drivers of energy-related financial literacy: evidence from West Bengal, India

Purpose The purpose of the study is to make an original effort to explore the level of Energy-related financial literacy (ERFL) and its determinants in the context of India’s emerging economy. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on primary data collected from a household-level survey carried out in selected regions of West Bengal. ERFL was measured using the methodology proposed by Blasch et al. (2018). The generalised structural equation model was used to unfold the antecedents of ERFL. Findings The study’s outcome revealed a moderate level of ERFL (63%) among the sample households, primarily driven by a high FL score (71%). Very poor performance was observed in LCCL. EL was also observed to be moderate. The study’s findings highlighted that gender, decision-making power within the family, education, occupation, age, income level and the size of the house were the major antecedents of ERFL and its constituents. Originality/value This article contributes to the small but growing body of scholarship on ERFL. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first original attempt to explore ERFL and its determinants in the Indian context.