Notwithstanding access to electricity, coal still remains the fuel of preference for cooking and space heating for most low-income households in the central Highveld region. The main reasons are that coal has the desired characteristics of extended heat release, required for space heating. Approximately 1 million households consume just over 1 million tonnes of coal per annum, most of which is burnt during winter. This leads to excessive concentrations of air pollution that have measurable negative impacts on health.