With apologies for cross-posting…

 

Call for papers: International perspectives on fuel poverty

People, Place and Policy seeks contributions to a special issue on international perspectives on fuel poverty, to be published in January 2016.  This reflects the considerable and growing academic and policy interest in fuel poverty across many parts of the world, the diversity of definitions, policy responses and dilemmas emerging.

The problem of fuel poverty is recognised across Europe, USA, Australia and New Zealand and there is general agreement at a conceptual level that fuel poverty refers to an inability to afford to maintain adequate warmth within the home (e.g. Boardman, 1991; Lewis, 1982). However, operational definitions of fuel poverty differ markedly in how they are constructed resulting in significant implications for empirical estimates of both the extent of fuel poverty and the composition of the fuel poor (Fahmy, 2011). There are currently two high-level fuel poverty definitions in use in the UK for example.  Fuel poverty is recognised as a major contributor to the negative health impacts of cold homes and particularly impacts on the health of vulnerable households (Royston, 2014; Local Government Association 2013; National Children's Bureau, 2012; Marmot Review Team, 2010).  Living in fuel poverty also leads to stress (Gilbertson et al, 2012) which, over time, impairs mental wellbeing (Liddell and Gurney, under review).            

 

Strategies to address fuel poverty tend to do so through some combination of increasing i) household income (for example, encouraging take up of benefits that householders are eligible for but not currently claiming), ii) reducing fuel costs (for example, accessing social tariffs for fuel) or iii) improving the energy efficiency of the home (for example, initiatives such as Warm Up New Zealand). However, concerns exist that affordable warmth interventions are poorly targeted (Liddell and Morris, 2010) and that those at most risk sometimes struggle to access such interventions (Stockton and Campbell 2011).  Research is needed to better understand how the risks of, and responses to, fuel poverty are shaped by household circumstances, experiences and behaviours.

 

Fuel poverty is an area of study where interest and responsibility is shared by many academic disciplines and external partner agencies (such as health, environment, housing, energy, etc.)  This special edition aims to provide a forum for academics, policy makers and practitioners from a variety of countries to engage in further debate around the concept of fuel poverty, its causes, definition and consequences and to consider strategies to tackle the problem. 

Potential contributors are welcome to consider fuel poverty in broad terms but we are particularly interested in contributions that provide critical perspectives on the following issues:

-             International comparative perspectives on fuel poverty  

-             Defining and measuring fuel poverty

-             Links between fuel poverty and energy efficiency

-             Links between fuel poverty and poor health

-             Working households and fuel poverty

-             Fuel poverty and occupant behaviour

-             Policy solutions to fuel poverty

 

We encourage potential contributors to consider the aims and scope of the journal (see www.ppp-online.org).

We expect this special edition to include up to 10 high quality papers of between 3000 and 5000 words.

If you would like to contribute to this special issue, please email a short abstract (no more than 200 words) to Aimee Ambrose ([log in to unmask]) by Thursday 2nd April 2015. Informal enquiries can also be directed to this address. Successful submissions will be notified by Friday 1st May, and the deadline for submitting final papers (3,000-5,000 words) for peer review will then be Friday 31st July. Publication is expected to be in January 2016.

About PPP

People, Place and Policy is a peer-reviewed, open access journal that provides a forum for debate about how policy shapes the risks, opportunities and constraints that face people and places in contemporary society. Its aim is to foster dialogue between academics engaged in researching societal challenges and the policy-makers or practitioners charged with responding to these challenges.

PPP is interdisciplinary in scope and welcomes a range of contributions including empirical studies, policy analysis, methodological and theoretical reflections as well as ‘think pieces’ exploring contemporary policy issues. Submissions are subject to peer review and should be 3,000-5,000 words in length. Notes for contributors can be found here: http://extra.shu.ac.uk/ppp-online/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Notes-for-contributors.pdf

 

References

 

Boardman, B. (1991) Fuel poverty: From cold homes to affordable warmth. London: Belhaven Press

   

Fahmy, E. (2011) Consumer Focus Briefing Paper. The definition and measurement of fuel poverty.  A Briefing Paper to inform Consumer Focus’ submission to the Hills fuel poverty review. On

http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/files/2011/06/The-definition-and-measurement-of-fuel-poverty-Dr-Eldin-Fahmy.pdf Accessed January 2015.

 

Gilbertson J., Grimsley M. and Green G., Warm Front Study Group (2012) Psychosocial routes from housing investment to health: Evidence from England's home energy efficiency scheme. Energy Policy. 49. 122-133

 

Lewis P. (1982) Fuel poverty can be stopped. Bradford: National Right to Fuel Campaign.

 

Liddell C. and Guiney C. (In peer review) Improvements in household heating and insulation and their associations with adult mental health and wellbeing .

 

Liddell C. and  Morris C. (2010) Fuel poverty and human health: A review of recent evidence Energy Policy 38 (2010) 2987–2997

 

Local Government Association and Public Health England (2013) Reducing harm from cold

weather. On:

http://www.local.gov.uk/documents/10180/11463/Reducing+harm+from+cold+weather+-

+local+government%27s+new+public+health+role/209cdb68-4107-4a15-aff0-1909ba720a24

Accessed January 2014

 

Marmot Review Team (2011) The health impacts of cold homes and fuel poverty. London: Friends of the Earth.

 

National Childrens Bureau (2012) Fuel Poverty and Child health and Wellbeing. Available on:

http://www.ncb.org.uk/media/757610/ebr_fuel_poverty_briefing_20june.pdf Accessed March 2013

 

Royston S. (2014) Behind cold doors. Available on: http://www.archbishopofyork.org/york//data/files/resources/3033/behind_cold_doors_-_final.pdf

 

Stockton H. and Campbell R. (2011) Time to reconsider UK energy prices and fuel policy. Joseph

Rowntree Foundation. London. Available on: http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/fuel-poverty-policysummary.pdf. Accessed December 2011.