In February 2020, we visited Réseau Eco-Habitat, a French organisation helping households affected by energy poverty to renovate their houses. This experience was humbling and made us reflect on the concrete impact research and policy work have on the life of the people. Renovation works started soon after our visit to Benoit’s house.
The justenergy research project aims to explore areas where policy, energy poverty and vulnerability intersect, in part, to gain a better understanding of ‘lived vulnerability’. To probe beyond the laws and regulations that define the relationships between energy systems and energy consumers, we have arranged to visit people in their homes.[1]
We chose to visit Réseau Éco-Habitat, close to Compiègne, in the Hauts-de-France region of France, based on its reputation as an innovative non-profit association that helps energy-poor homeowners navigate the complex process of accessing services and service providers to carry out deep energy renovations. Réseau Éco-Habitat first helps people gain access to financial aid schemes offered by the French agency for housing (Agence nationale de l’habitat [ANAH]) and other public agencies, as well as private actors (mostly foundations) that provide other types of support, including personal assistance and financial aid.
In turn, Réseau Éco-Habitat acts as…
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