35th International Geographical Congress - IGC 2024, Dublin (Ireland). 24-30 August 2024
Summary:
The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused a profound economic impact in Europe. In this new context of energy and inflationary crises, the EU and its Member States implemented different strategies to mitigate their effects.
However, at the time when these policies were implemented, the ‘real-time’ situation and the reaction of European households to this shocking crisis were unknown. This paper aims to shed light on what this emergency has meant for vulnerable groups. The study, proposed by the Spanish Red Cross, explores the situation of the households assisted by this NGO using a mixed methodology of quantitative (primary data survey) and qualitative (focus groups) research. Thus, this article combines data, experiences and opinions of this vulnerable collective, the NGO technical staff and experts from academia.
The results unveil a complex and ambivalent situation of this vulnerable population concerning energy poverty. The most pressing problem (more than 60% of the population) was the inability to maintain comfort in their homes in both winter and summer. These two seasonal faces of energy poverty are linked to the poor quality of their dwellings and energy services. Moreover, low-income levels and high energy prices pushed more than 90% of these households to cut off or reduce heating consumption during the 2022-2023 winter. Eventually, this paper highlights how this population employs different coping strategies, which affect their quality of life. In this sense, experts and technical staff believe the path towards a just energy transition is essential to adequately address this social issue.
Spanish layman's summary:
Este trabajo explora la situación de los hogares atendidos por Cruz Roja Española durante las crisis energética e inflacionista de 2022 utilizando una metodología mixta de investigación cuantitativa (encuesta) y cualitativa (grupos focales).
English layman's summary:
This paper explores the situation of the households assisted by the Spanish Red Cross during the 2022 energy and inflationary crises using a mixed methodology of quantitative (primary data survey) and qualitative (focus groups) research.
Keywords: Energy poverty, Energy crisis, Quantitative analysis, Qualitative analysis, Mixed method
Publication date: 2024-08-24.
Citation:
R. Barrella, S. Mora Rosado, J.C. Romero, The behind-the-scenes story of 2022 energy and inflationary crises: data, experiences and opinions of Spanish vulnerable households, 35th International Geographical Congress - IGC 2024, Dublin (Ireland). 24-30 August 2024.
