Energy Poverty, Practice, and Policy

Butler, Catherine

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-99432-7

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…This supports the findings elsewhere (e.g. Butler, 2022;Munro, 2020;Munro & Schiffer, 2019;Samarakoon, 2020) that physical access to an electricity connection does not equal access to electricity.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Independence through leapfrogging: Energy transitions in Eswatini

Hastie

2024

Geography and Environment

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The need to swiftly transition to clean energy and expand electricity access is pressing; however, the goals of SDG7 are unlikely to be met by 2030, with the UN specifically mentioning land‐locked states as being off track. Through the conceptual lens of ‘leapfrogging’ fossil fuels, straight from traditional fuel sources to renewable energy, this paper discusses the relationship between electricity production and independence. It makes a conceptual contribution by introducing the term ‘energy independence through leapfrogging’, which is used to characterise the process of reducing dependency on another country – in the case of Eswatini, electricity is supplied by South Africa. Drawing from empirical research in Eswatini involving document analysis and in‐depth interviews, this paper discusses the potential for the country to move from being primarily an importer of electricity to generating its own supply from renewable sources. With Eswatini's current electricity supply from South Africa at risk/expiring in 2025, this research argues that the country faces a moment of opportunity for Eswatini to build further generation capacity, with a recommended focus on solar energy. The paper identifies potential challenges/barriers to this energy transition, examining power generation, storage, maintenance and affordability as key areas for intervention. Drawing on previous theories of electricity access, the paper argues that ‘access’ to electricity requires consideration of the affordability and reliability of energy systems. Eswatini is an understudied geographical area, and this paper makes a contribution to the literature on energy transitions by examining the specific circumstances attending this transition and examining these with relevance for other land‐locked nations in sub‐Saharan Africa.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Independence through leapfrogging: Energy transitions in Eswatini

Hastie

2024

Geography and Environment

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“…Marmot et al (2020) discuss the interplay between health inequalities, life expectancy and the health gap in placemaking. In addition, the recent COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukrainian conflict have drawn policymakers' attention to the cost of fuel, rising energy prices, general inflation and climate change and how these affect the health and well-being of vulnerable and disadvantaged people (Butler 2022;Clair & Baker 2022;Guan et al 2023;Halkos & Aslanidis 2023;IPCC 2023;Stojilovska et al 2022). In terms of the local distribution of health and socio-economic inequalities, the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD 2024) is a publicly available, open-source tool for identifying the most deprived areas, which often present a linear correlation with high rates of fuel poverty.…”

Section: • Final Consumption Expenditure Of Householdsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Fuel poverty is a significant international challenge, widely understood as shaped by a broad range of factors, including increased energy prices, general inflation and poor energy efficiency standards in some homes. The problem is complex and has negative social impacts, exacerbating health and socio-economic inequalities (Butler 2022;Thomson et al 2017b). Hence, establishing priorities for the use of limited resources is a major challenge for policymakers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing retrofit policies for fuel-poor homes in London

Georgiadou,

Greenwood,

Schiano-Phan

et al. 2024

Buildings and Cities

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Designing public retrofit programmes for tackling fuel poverty is a complex, global challenge affecting vulnerable households. This paper investigates how health and socioeconomic inequalities shape the challenge of fuel poverty, with a focus on multilevel governance and retrofit programmes in London since 2021. The interrelationships between national metrics and local policy are analysed, as well as domestic retrofit programmes across various scales. Limitations are identified in how national and local policies incorporate inequalities, especially in the context of rising energy costs and climate change impacts. In London, there are related shortfalls in the operationalisation of the London Building Stock Model (LBSM). While this tool maps the energy performance certificates in homes, this requires cross-referencing with additional socio-economic databases to identify fuel-poor households, which are not publicly available. Further accountability issues exist due to the lack of binding targets from municipal government, and private-sector retrofits are mainly the responsibility of housing associations, which are not legally obliged to report on energy retrofits and fuel poverty. There is a clear need for inclusive metrics and retrofit programmes that incorporate wider inequality indicators to accurately identify households in fuel poverty. POLICY RELEVANCEThis study examines the complex and dynamic interrelationships between net zero and climate change targets, rising energy prices, and the inequalities of households in fuel poverty. First, public retrofit funding programmes are designed for low-energyperformance properties by prioritising those with low EPC ratings, leading to a relative neglect of the wider health impacts and socio-economic disadvantages faced by more vulnerable households. Second, there is a need for more inclusive national metrics (e.g. Low Income Low Energy Efficiency) and assessment tools. These would map a broader range of local inequalities facing vulnerable households and evaluate the effectiveness of policies. Third, local authorities should set binding targets and lead place-based interventions at the city scale, investing in energy efficiency, local clean energy and vocational education and training, thus creating green jobs and specialised qualifications for domestic retrofits.

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“…However, it also points to the underlying structures of precarity 42 that can render changing cost structures especially problematic for some. Publics do not expect to bear these intellectual and financial burdens alone, and require safety nets, the provision of which may fall under the jurisdiction of housing or welfare rather than energy policy 50 .…”

Section: Articlementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such relationships are further complicated by positioning in housing markets and expectations of financial security bound up with housing tenure, borrowing and financial investment 36,54 . While attention has been paid to experiences of owner occupiers and residents in the more secure social rented sector 24,36 , private sector tenants often find themselves facing insecurity of tenure, high housing costs and low-quality housing 42,50 . We thus sought specific representation of this more marginal group to explore how heat transitions may proceed in a more just manner 20 .…”

Section: Case Selection and Recruitmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

A relational approach to characterizing householder perceptions of disruption in heat transitions

Thomas,

Flower,

Gross

et al. 2024

Nat Energy

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Heat decarbonization threatens substantial disruptions in temperate countries. However, the concept of disruption carries diverse meanings, potentially relating to cost, material space and everyday heating practices. Here, using interpretive risk theory, this article elucidates a relational understanding of how disruption is experienced and takes on meaning in everyday life. We deploy this framework to examine perceptions of four low-carbon heating technologies—heat pumps, hydrogen, hybrid heating and heat networks—alongside associated upgrades to distribution network infrastructure. Drawing on data from six, 1-day workshops representing a diversity of geographic and housing contexts across the United Kingdom, we address how existing relationships shape hopes, fears and expectations for heat decarbonization. Our findings help clarify the role of affective relationships, feelings of precarity, security and pressure in distinguishing material inconveniences from more fundamental disruptions to valued ways of life, and may be particularly relevant in other gas-dependent countries and regions.

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Energy Poverty, Practice, and Policy

Cited by 6 publications

References 0 publications

Independence through leapfrogging: Energy transitions in Eswatini

Independence through leapfrogging: Energy transitions in Eswatini

Assessing retrofit policies for fuel-poor homes in London

A relational approach to characterizing householder perceptions of disruption in heat transitions

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