Six ways to help fix energy hardship in New Zealand

Authors

  • Kimberley O’Sullivan He Kāinga Oranga/Housing and Health Research Programme
  • Helen Viggers He Kāinga Oranga/Housing and Health Research Programme

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26686/pq.v17i4.7323

Keywords:

energy poverty, energy efficiency, health, equity, just transition, co-benefits

Abstract

Energy hardship is caused by the interaction of factors including housing quality, appliance efficiency, energy source and price, and occupant needs and income. Multiple policy approaches are needed to address these varied causes of energy hardship, and the lack of an official definition and a measurement strategy in Aotearoa should not preclude policy action to address this critical social determinant of health. Here we outline six ways to help fix energy hardship in New Zealand.

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Author Biographies

Kimberley O’Sullivan, He Kāinga Oranga/Housing and Health Research Programme

Kimberley O’Sullivan is a senior research fellow at He Kāinga Oranga/Housing and Health Research Programme and the New Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities at the University of Otago, Wellington. Her expertise is in undertaking mixed methods research to explore the health and wellbeing implications of housing, energy poverty and energy use.

Helen Viggers, He Kāinga Oranga/Housing and Health Research Programme

Helen Viggers is a research fellow at He Kāinga Oranga/Housing and Health Research Programme and the New Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities at the University of Otago, Wellington. Her work focuses on the multifactorial determinants of cold housing, and residential energy use.

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Published

2021-11-25

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 4 (2021): Policy Quarterly. In Focus: Social Insurance

Section

Articles

License

Permission: In the interest of promoting debate and wider dissemination, the IGPS encourages use of all or part of the articles appearing in PQ, where there is no element of commercial gain. Appropriate acknowledgement of both author and source should be made in all cases. The IGPS retains copyright. Please direct requests for permission to reprint articles from this publication to igps@vuw.ac.nz.