Living with Energy Poverty: Perspectives from the Global North and South gives an insight into energy poverty and the lived experiences of energy-poor households across different contexts.
The origins of this book can be found in the EnergyMeasures Horizon 2020 project (2020-24) in which the editors collaborated.
Engaged energy poor households
-This project operated across seven European countries to better understand the lived experience of energy poverty, and to support energy poor households by providing tailored small measures and behaviour change advice. Work in the project prompted reflection on the challenges in identifying, and most importantly engaging, energy poor households. We noted with interest the varying experiences of energy poverty across participating countries and differences in the effectiveness of approaches to find and support the energy poor, says Herrejón, who holds a position as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Renewable Energy section at the University of Oslo.
According to the editors of the book, the book presents novel approaches to understanding the often hidden forms of domestic energy deprivation.
-Understanding the lived experience of energy poverty is an essential component in the design of any effort to alleviate what is fundamentally a deep-rooted, multi-faceted, and dynamic wicked problem. The book is a timely source for policymakers, practitioners, and scholars seeking fresh, diverse insights into the everyday reality of energy poverty and wanting to better understand the challenges a people-centred, just energy transition can present, says Herrejón.
- Important with a person-centred approach to research
Herrejóns current work at UiO aims to develop an interdisciplinary mixed-methods approach to integrate concepts of sociology, economic philosophy and technology systems to define the ‘real world’ feasibility of large-scale wind farms from a range of economic, political, regulatory, and societal perspectives. The research is put into the project WINDACCEPT, together with ITS Head of Research and supervisor, Marianne Zeyringer and Tanja Winther, Head of research centre, Include. Herrejóns research adopts an interdisciplinary perspective to examine socio-technical aspects of the global energy transition and decarbonisation with a focus on well-being, energy poverty, participation, power, and social justice.
In what way are you being able to incorporate the published research results in your book to your everyday work as a Postdocoral Researcher at the University of Oslo?
-Editing the book provided me the confidence of knowing that it is possible to coordinate people all over the world to produce an insightful account on a subject. Learning how to work with different work styles and expectations will certainly help my day-to-day work as a postdoc seeking to engage different stakeholders for the WINDACCEPT project. Furthermore, the book findings reminded me of the importance of a person-centred approach to research: people have different relationships to the energy system and understanding these nuances and how they relate to our wellbeing and the environment is what counts, says Herrejón.
Editing the book, provided me the confidence of knowing that it is possible to coordinate people all over the world to produce an insightful account on a subject. - Paola Velasco Herrejón
How did you come up with the idea of the book, Living with Energy Poverty: Perspectives from the Global North and South?
- Cognisant that knowledge developed within EnergyMeasures was Euro-centric, we were interested to explore how observations of energy poverty in Europe compared with the situation in other places in the world. We therefore proposed a panel for the Development Studies Association Conference (DSA 2022) entitled “Understanding the lived experiences of energy poverty in the Global North and South”. There was a great deal of interest in the call, enough to hold two conference panels, says Herrejón.
-The fascinating discussions at the DSA 2022 panels prompted us to draw together the various voices found in this volume. We purposefully took an inclusive approach focusing not on English proficiency or on writing style, but rather on seeking diverse arguments and experiences that fit with the central book concept.
Challenged many perceptions on energy poverty
Were there results that surprised you from the studies being done?
-The participants came from five continents and the topics presented challenged many perceptions on energy poverty – including the dichotomous view that in the global south it is solely about access, while in the global north it is an affordability issue – and linked the condition with wider sustainability issues. Furthermore, the multidimensional perspective that the book takes challenges the bias towards energy production and service provision, which often do not align with the aspirations and realities of energy households across global contexts, thus facilitating a useful dialogue on the nature of energy poverty, says Herrejón.
In what way have these studies given you knowledge to your own life?
-One of my major personal takeaways was that understanding how energy poverty is experienced its key to address it. That numbers on a survey were not enough to respond to the flexible spatial and temporal nature of the condition. To understand its well-being and justice implications long and deep conversations over tea and biscuits in an energy-poor household were needed, emphasizes Herrejón.
Paola Velasco Herrejón holds a doctorate in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge. Before joining the Department of Technology Systems at the University of Oslo, she worked as a teaching assistant at Cambridge Judge Business School and as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Environmental Research Institute of the University College Cork, Ireland.