FPRN bulletin – 10th March 2023


10 March 2023

Welcome to our email bulletin.

The FPRN email bulletin is a semi-regular email highlighting a handpicked selection of recently published research and other knowledge outputs in the area of fuel/energy poverty from around the world. The aim is to share this emerging knowledge more widely and to help generate discussion across the network.

If you have any issues accessing the below articles, or you have articles, research or other information we could share, please contact newsletter@fuelpovertyresearch.net

Recognition justice in Australia: Hidden energy vulnerability through the experiences of intermediaries (ScienceDirect)
Nicola Willand; Nooshin Torabi; Ralph Horne (2023)
 Academic Paper  Open Access 

Through interviews with 32 intermediaries from health, housing and social service organisations in Melbourne, Australia, the paper develops six forms of hidden energy vulnerability: underconsumption entailing privation, incidental masking, disguised vulnerability, intentional concealment, failure to recognise the health risks of cold homes and ignored energy vulnerability. The paper suggests reports by trusted intermediaries and better public education of the causes and risk of energy vulnerability may help identify and remedy hidden energy vulnerability.

Energy poverty: an overlooked determinant of health and climate resilience in Canada (SpringerLink)
Mylène Riva; Sophie Kingunza Makasi; Kimberley C. O’Sullivan; Runa R. Das; Philippe Dufresne; David Kaiser; Sébastien Breau (2023)
 Academic Paper  Open Access 

This study explores the association between energy poverty and health in Canada using data from the 2018 Canadian Housing Survey. The results found that the odds of rating one’s general and mental health as poor are significantly higher for Canadian adults in households with a high share of energy expenditure to income and was worse for those dissatisfied with the energy efficiency of their dwelling.

Reduction of energy poverty in Mexico by applying an optimization model to residential energy tariffs (ScienceDirect)
J.A. Suástegui Macías; A.J. López Valenzuela; A. Acuña Ramírez; P.F. Rosales Escobedo; A.H. Ruelas Puente (2023)
 Academic Paper  Open Access 

This paper presents a mathematical model to modify the way in energy tariff rates are applied to the Mexican residential sector in order to reduce energy poverty. The results show a reduction in energy poverty in 166,318 households and providing better energy justice conditions for 25% of households.

Problematising energy justice: Towards conceptual and normative alignment (ScienceDirect)
Nathan Wood (2023)
 Academic Paper  Open Access 

This paper explores the origins, depth, and purpose of earlier understandings of energy justice and how it has created a normative-ethical foundation that does not always support its overarching goals or produce a conceptual space to understand and respond to energy related injustice. The author calls for energy researchers to engage more critically with energy justice frameworks.

Public support for decarbonisation policies: Between self-interest and social need for alleviating energy and transport poverty in the United Kingdom (ScienceDirect)
Paul Upham; Neil Simcock; Benjamin Sovacool; Gerardo A. Torres Contreras; Kirsten Jenkins; Mari Martiskainen (2023)
 Academic Paper  Open Access 

This paper investigates public support for policies in the UK that have implications for energy and transport poverty and compares this to expert stakeholders policy preferences. The authors conclude that decarbonisation policies require careful attention to social welfare policy if they are to achieve public support.

A Greek Green Deal: building energy democracy and fighting energy poverty (pdf)
Yannis Maniatis; Haris Doukas; Emmanuel Karagiannis (2023)
 Report  Open Access 

This report covers a range of topics relating to energy policy and the transition to a climate-neutral economy in Greece, including measures taken over the last decade to address energy poverty.

Also, check out our special issue of the journal People, Policy and Place on Decarbonisation and Energy Poverty.

This email newsletter is produced by the Fuel Poverty Research Network. For more news and events visit our website.