Abstract
Energy transitions are often presented as linear, technology-driven imperatives. Yet, global conditions —climate extremes, geopolitical conflicts, behavioural constraints, etc,— reveal them as deeply uneven. This research examines how ecological and climatic stressors and social inequalities intersect to frame household energy injustices across four countries—the United Kingdom, Mexico, China and Greece. Across the UK, the July 2025 energy price cap change reinforced structural energy injustice. Consumers are urged to ‘shop around’ for better prices, but the most competitive rates are reserved for households with smart-meters—exacerbating digital divides and excluding lower-income groups. China’s rapid urbanisation and intensifying heatwaves are driving-up residential cooling demand, with electrification efforts progressing unevenly. Urban households increasingly adopt electricity-based systems and heat pumps, while rural communities depend on coal or biomass. Mexico’s bioclimatic diversity brings further complexity. Despite regulatory mechanisms thermal vulnerability persists, especially in rural and informal housing. Policies remain technocratic, failing to incorporate lived experience, social roles, or cultural contexts that shape energy use. In Greece, a country with significant solar potential but continued dependence on fossil fuel imports, the energy crisis has reignited concerns around energy poverty and thermal stress. Price spikes compounded with inflations, have led to reliance on governmental subsidies – often temporary and insufficient. This study calls for an expanded understanding of energy literacy, one that includes information access and most importantly the capability to act on that knowledge. Equitable energy transitions demand more than carbon emissions reduction targets. They demand the recognition of differentiated vulnerabilities and culturally embedded behaviours.
Presenters
Androniki PapathanasiPhD Student - Research Assistant, School of Engineering - Institute for Energy Systems, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom Aristides Kiprakis
Professor of Agile Energy Systems, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, City of, United Kingdom Oscar Sanchez Santillan
Associated researcher, Innvations and Futures Laboratoty, Instituto de Energías Renovables, Morelos, Mexico Karla G. Cedano
Head , Technology Management and Liaison, UNAM Instituto de Energías Renovables, Morelos, Mexico
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2026 Special Focus—Unseen Unsustainability: Addressing Hidden Risks to Long-Term Wellbeing for All
KEYWORDS
Household Energy Transitions Energy Poverty Socio-technical Inequality Climate Resilience Digital Exclusion
