Transcending the Triad: Political Distrust, Local Cultural Norms and Reconceptualising the Drivers of Domestic Energy Poverty in the UK

This study contributes to the existing understandings of the drivers of domestic energy poverty by examining how locally-embedded cultural factors intersect with wider economic and political processes in constituting and perpetuating energy deprivation. Drawing upon qualitative evidence obtained from research in four case study sites in the United Kingdom, the chapter argues that energy poverty needs to be reconceptualised beyond simple triadic approaches to one that highlights the significance of the role that locally-embedded cultural norms play in driving experiences of energy poverty and in generating resistance to engagement with energy poverty alleviation initiatives.