Practices and politics of energy efficiency among householders in a low-energy building in Sweden

Abstract

The social practices of householders are crucial for the realisation of energy policies, but their political aspects have been overlooked in previous research. The aim of this paper is to deepen the understanding of the possibilities of householders for political participation in energy transitions in the home. By analysing the social practices of householders in a low-energy building, the paper demonstrates that engagement in energy efficiency is hindered by the materiality and a lack of knowledge of - as well as reliability on - the building's energy system. Yet, the householders consider their lack of knowledge as individual responsibilities. While the necessity to form a political agenda stems from the unmet needs for thermal comfort in the individual home, the political agency to change the lack of influence is developed in the collectivity between the householders. The contestation of individual responsibilities brings forward a politicisation and democratisation of the energy transition. The results of this paper thus support the acknowledgement of different forms of political participation in energy transitions to shape future democratic and just energy systems.