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Most research on household energy use has focused on the energy ladder hypothesis, with solid fuels at the bottom and electricity at the top. The objective of this paper is to examine what is happening at the top of the ladder, i.e., to analyze the factors determining the adoption of electricity only for lighting and the adoption of electricity for both lighting and cooking. The data used come from the Demographic and Health Survey of five countries in Southern Africa (South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe), covering 54,834 households. The results of an ordered probit model show that the demographic characteristics, wealth, and human capital of households have a significant impact on the use of electricity for lighting and cooking. However, the influence of these characteristics is greater in rural areas.