Domestic Energy Utilization and Potential Alternative Energy Sources Among Households in Gombi Local Government Area

This study investigates household energy consumption patterns, preferences for alternative energy sources, and awareness of environmental impacts across four selected wards which includes Gombi North, Gombi South, Garkida, and Gaanda in Gombi Local Government Area, Adamawa State, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was administered to 400 respondents drawn from diverse occupational and socioeconomic backgrounds. Farming (35.9%) and civil service (32.6%) emerged as the dominant occupations, while the majority of respondents earned between ₦21,000 and ₦60,000 monthly, indicating moderate financial capacity. Household sizes varied considerably, with 36.0% of respondents falling within the 5–8 member range, reflecting diverse domestic energy demands across the study area. Findings reveal that wood and charcoal collectively account for 67.7% of primary household energy use, underscoring a heavy dependence on traditional biomass fuels with significant environmental and public health consequences, including air pollution, deforestation, habitat destruction, and soil degradation. Electricity and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) usage remain limited at 9.0% and 13.2% respectively, constrained by income levels, inadequate infrastructure, and high upfront costs. A Chi-Square analysis confirmed a statistically significant association between income and primary energy source (Pearson Chi-Square = 638.418, p = 0.016), establishing that higher-income households are more likely to adopt cleaner energy alternatives, while lower-income households predominantly rely on biomass fuels. Income level (31.0%) and government policy (26.0%) emerged as the most influential factors affecting energy accessibility across all sources. Solar energy was identified as the most preferred alternative energy source by 55.7% of respondents, followed by biomass (25.8%) and wind energy (18.5%). A substantial 91.5% of respondents expressed interest in adopting alternative energy sources, motivated primarily by environmental benefits (44.8%) and government incentives (25.0%). Regarding environmental awareness, 55.7% of respondent’s demonstrated awareness of the environmental impacts of household energy use, with air pollution (84.4%) and deforestation (57.0%) identified as the most recognized consequences. In terms of mitigation measures, the adoption of energy-efficient LED or CFL bulbs (72.4%), energy-efficient appliances (32.3%), and education and awareness campaigns (28.9%) were most widely endorsed. The study concludes that addressing household energy challenges in Gombi requires comprehensive, income-sensitive, and community-specific energy policies that prioritize equitable access to affordable, clean, and sustainable energy solutions across all zones of the local government area