Journal article
The risk of energy hardship increases with extreme heat and cold in Australia
A Li, M Toll, R Bentley
Communications Earth and Environment | Published : 2024
Abstract
Climate change is shifting the experience of energy hardship. Here we examine the effect of the intensity, frequency, and duration of temperature extremes on energy hardship, and how this risk is shaped by individual, housing and neighbourhood resiliencies across Australia, using nationally representative data (269,500 observations) on energy hardship linked to temperature records between 2005 and 2021. Findings suggest that the risk of energy hardship increases with more intense extreme heat and cold, with greater risks for older individuals, lone-person or single-parent households, and rental tenants. These vulnerabilities can be offset by quality housing and renewable energy installations..
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Grants
Awarded by Melbourne Institute, University of Melbourne
Funding Acknowledgements
The research was conducted with funding support from the Fuel Poverty Research Network (Engaging in Energy Poverty in Early Career Grant), the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence in Healthy Housing (grant number 1196456), and the Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (grant number DE240101135). The authors thank the participants at the European Network Housing Research conference (Poland, 2023) for their comments on earlier drafts and the support of the Healthy Environments And Lives (HEAL) network.