Beyond numbers: unpacking the lived Experiences, cold homes, and complex realities of energy poverty in rural Northern China

Energy poverty significantly impacts individual and community well-being. It is critical to understand the factors influencing its emergence as well as the interactions between them to inform effective policy interventions. While research in China has identified factors using quantitative methods, little research has explored them qualitatively. This research explores the emergence of energy poverty through a lived experience approach. Utilizing interviews, observations, and thematic analysis it asks, how do intersecting cultural and social, economic, material, regulatory and geographical factors contribute to the development of energy poverty in rural Northern China? Five key findings are provided. First, cultural and social factors play a significant role in either alleviating or exacerbating energy poverty, depending on the family dynamics of energy-poor households and their social relations. Second, income and its sources are crucial economic contributors to energy poverty. Third, unique features of Chinese traditional rural houses lead to lower indoor temperatures, partial heating, and limitations in improving domestic energy infrastructure. Fourth, modern energy services (especially heating) are often too expensive for households with only one older individual. Fifth, local energy infrastructure delays can push households into energy poverty during the transition due to energy service vacuums and the extra costs associated with temporary resource expenditure. These findings contribute to existing literature by expanding knowledge and informing policy-making efforts to address energy poverty, while presenting empirical material focused on both a neglected geographical context, and a neglected, qualitative perspective. We also contribute to understandings of how energy poverty drivers interact to create distinctive outcomes.