Coping with energy poverty through social relations
We are social beings, so it will come as no surprise that people’s relationships with other people have an impact on their ability to cope with energy poverty. In our recent study, we found that people use a range of different relationships (friends, family, advice agencies and others) to help them to access energy services (heat, mobility, and adequate electricity). In addition, having access to energy services can result in people being able to form or keep relationships: there are virtuous and vicious circles here. This means that when people do not have strong connections to others, or the ability to form such relationships, they are more vulnerable to the challenges of energy poverty.
