Energy-efficiency policies reinforce energy injustices: The caring energy practices of low-income households in Norway

Abstract

The high energy prices in Europe have caused an increase in energy poverty, even in Norway, where electricity has traditionally been affordable due to cheap hydropower. In this paper, we analyse the impact of energy-efficiency policies on low-income households to discover whether they reduce or reinforce existing injustices. To address this, our approach combines energy justice with a theory of care. Little attention has been paid to care within the context of energy, although it has been widely used to understand how and why we carry out everyday practices. The paper is based on a qualitative interview study with low-income households from three Norwegian cities. Participants were asked about their concerns and challenges regarding the housing and energy sectors as well as the potential solutions they imagined. We found that policy that is intended to encourage household investments in energy-efficient solutions is amplifying experiences of social inequality among low-income households. Moreover, the lack of connections between energy-efficiency policies and social-housing policy often results in unaddressed housing injustices. Furthermore, we discovered that caring practices played a dual role when addressing energy-related issues. On the one hand, practicing care was crucial in helping low-income households develop appropriate solutions to their everyday challenges. On the other hand, by resolving their immediate concerns through practicing care, they inadvertently concealed energy injustices from wider society. Based on this, we argue that caring energy efficiency practices should be made visible and acknowledged in energy policy discourses. We see this as crucial to enable a just energy transition.