Excluded despite their support - The perspectives of energy-poor households on their participation in the German energy transition narrative

Abstract

EU policy documents pursue a win-win outcome for climate policies and the combatting of energy poverty. Yet current policies do not achieve the full participation of the energy-poor in regard to energy transitions. Structural factors like welfare policy, housing- and energy-market mechanisms, and tenancy prevent the energy poor from benefitting from energy transitions. Based on document analyses and in-depth interviews with 35 German households, we describe how the energy poor perceive the sustainability narrative associated with the German energy transition. Being part of this narrative creates a sense of belonging, while being deprived of the opportunity manifests yet another dimension of social exclusion. We portray three household types: those supporting climate action and energy transition with limited possibility for participation beyond energy saving; indifferent households with low energy consumption due to financial precarity; and extremely overburdened households with (mental) health issues. All groups express support for energy transitions yet remain excluded by its policies that fail to account for multidimensional vulnerability and that remain restricted to either energy-saving or one-time relief measures, both of which quickly reach their limits, especially during energy crises. Highlighting the exclusion of these groups requires specifying that distributional justice debates to include access to measures designed to enhance participation in this narrative. Such measures would enable the fair distribution of coping mechanisms to manage rising energy prices and often determine whether households can contribute to climate action while maintaining the basic comforts of life. On a policy level, only a radical shift towards inclusive, democratic policy design can help overcome the exclusion.