“…All the studies investigating the causal relationship between electricity (energy) growth and economic growth in the country (Wolde‐Rufael, , ; Odhiambo, ; Eggoh et al ., ; Al‐mulali and Sab, ; Kahsai et al ., ; Dlamini et al ., , forthcoming) assumed a linear relationship between the two. Looking at the various factors that influence the energy or electricity consumption in the country, almost all studies agreed that income and price are the main determinants but again in a linear format (Louw et al ., ; Ziramba, ; Amusa et al ., ; Inglesi, ; Inglesi and Pouris, ; Inglesi‐Lotz and Blignaut, ; Senatla, ; Inglesi‐Lotz et al ., ). Inglesi‐Lotz (, ) looked the time‐varying price elasticities of aggregate and industrial electricity consumption in South Africa, taking thus into account possible differences in the behaviour of consumers from one year to another.…”