Brabo-Catala Luiza, Cernic Anca, Collins Eva, Barton Barry
Waikato Management School, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.
Independent Researcher, New Zealand.
Heliyon. 2023 Aug 11;9(8):e19087. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19087. eCollection 2023 Aug.
Energy hardship affects over 6% of households in New Zealand, defined as the inability to afford and obtain energy services. In late 2021, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment proposed 26 indicators to identify energy hardship. However, this study aimed to explore the leading causes and consequences of energy hardship in the following year, including relevant variables not included in the proposed indicators. A survey of 1278 Kiwi respondents was conducted to understand their demographic and energy consumption patterns. Using 17 of the proposed indicators, the severity of energy hardship was measured and related to other important variables. Results showed that energy unaffordability, poor housing quality, and choosing between food expenses or energy bills were the main drivers of energy hardship. Consequences included feeling cold due to restricted energy consumption and accumulating energy debt. This study provides valuable insights to simplify the identification of households experiencing energy hardship and highlights the main areas of focus for policy development aimed at eradicating this problem.
能源困境影响着新西兰超过6%的家庭，能源困境被定义为无力负担和获得能源服务。2021年末，商业、创新和就业部提出了26项指标来识别能源困境。然而，本研究旨在探究次年能源困境的主要原因和后果，包括拟议指标中未涵盖的相关变量。对1278名新西兰受访者进行了一项调查，以了解他们的人口统计学特征和能源消费模式。使用拟议指标中的17项指标，对能源困境的严重程度进行了衡量，并将其与其他重要变量相关联。结果表明，能源支付能力不足、住房质量差以及在食品费用和能源账单之间进行选择是能源困境的主要驱动因素。后果包括因能源消费受限而感到寒冷以及累积能源债务。本研究为简化识别面临能源困境的家庭提供了宝贵见解，并突出了旨在消除这一问题的政策制定的主要重点领域。
