Postgraduate research opportunities Smart and fair? The (in)justices of smart, low-carbon energy solutions for UK homes

UK homes account for 17% of carbon emissions and remain stubbornly high. To deliver on its 2050 carbon targets, the UK needs to retrofit 97% of its 28 million homes by 2040 (UKGBC 2021), given that 60% of its homes are highly inefficient (i.e. EPC-standard C or lower) and 88% of UK homes rely on gas boilers (MfHCLG 2022).

Affordable low-carbon solutions therefore need to be implemented swiftly and at scale. However, the installation of many of the most critical Smart, Low-Carbon Domestic Energy Solutions (SLCDES) – including smart meters, smart appliances, electricity storage, heat pumps and electric vehicles – are mostly not keeping pace with government targets.

At the same time, we find that higher-income, owner occupier households are typically the ones driving adoption of SLCDES and enjoying the reductions in bills they afford. Conversely, millions of lower-income households are being locked-out of the domestic smart energy revolution (Citizens Advice 2023) and are having to endure record energy bills as result. Common obstacles include a lack of finance, knowledge, agency (e.g. tenure) and infrastructure (e.g. smart meter) (ibid).

Employing a mixed methods approach to mobilise an energy justice conceptual framework, this PhD examines where (in)justices currently reside in the deployment of SLCDES in the UK, and the underpinning factors responsible for these. Its core aim is to identify and stress-test the types of market and policy interventions that could tackle smart energy injustices and help to ensure that all households are able to benefit from the smart energy revolution.

The successful candidate will work closely with NEA to design and conduct the research, as well as disseminate the findings to maximize its impact. The PhD offers an excellent opportunity for the student to conduct impactful research, in partnership with leading energy stakeholders.

Research Objectives

This PhD poses the question: how can energy markets and policy frameworks be re-structured to ensure that the adoption of Smart, Low-Carbon Domestic Energy Solutions (SLCDES) delivers a fairer transition to net-zero?

It examines the following:

1. Which households are currently accessing SLCDES in the UK and why?
2. What benefits and drawbacks have UK households enjoyed, or missed out on, as a result?
3. Which factors are enabling or blocking household access to SLCDES?
4. What are the (in)justices of SLCDES adoption across UK households?
5. What policy and market changes are needed to ensure that SLCDES are more widely and fairly available to UK households?

The objectives of the PhD will be as follows:

• Identify the breadth and depth of (in)justices of SLCDES and their UK demographic and geographic distribution
• Understand how SLCDES adoption can serve to raise or lower levels of social justice
• Understand the factors driving (in)justices associated with SLCDES, for different types of households and regions
• Formulate practical policy and market recommendations to devise a more socially equitable approach to the deployment of SLCDES for the UK and beyond

The research employs a “T-model” approach; balancing empirical breadth and depth. The following qualitative and quantitative data are targeted to answer the research questions:

• Q1: Statistical analysis of existing datasets and/or own survey data to assess the geographical and demographic distribution of SLCDES adoption. Potential too for regression analysis to establish correlation between independent variables with SLCDES adoption. Data includes the MCS dashboard for MCS accredited deployment of micro-generation assets, Smart Energy GB’s Outlook Tracker survey for smart meter deployment and finally, the UK Government’s Household Energy Efficiency Statistics, Home Upgrade Grant, Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery and Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund databases for energy efficiency deployment. Where possible, spatially disaggregated UK deployment data will be analysed using GIS, following a similar methodology as applied by Hannon in the recent paper: “Who Applies For Energy Grants?” (Owen et al. 2023).
• Q2-Q4: Qualitative examination via householder and stakeholder (e.g. energy charities, technology providers, energy utilities, policy makers) interviews to understand the (dis)benefits of (non)adoption, as well as the factors that have enabled or blocked uptake. Locally-focused case studies will be formulated to offer a place-based perspective on the breadth and depth of smart energy (in)justices.
• Q5: Workshops to formulate and stress-test solutions to the most prevalent energy (in)justices associated with smart energy adoption. These will operate at both the local and regional/national level, to understand where solutions could be implemented at different levels of government.