IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v87y2015icp216-223.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Fuel poverty in the UK: Is there a difference between rural and urban areas?

Author

Listed:
  • Roberts, Deborah
  • Vera-Toscano, Esperanza
  • Phimister, Euan

Abstract

Fuel poverty is a significant policy issue. An argument often made is that rural households are more likely to be fuel poor due to the nature of rural housing stock and the more limited choice of energy sources in rural areas. This paper uses panel data to compare the level and dynamics of fuel poverty in rural and urban areas of the UK. In addition to descriptive analysis, discrete hazard models of fuel poverty exit and re-entry are estimated and used to assess the influence of housing and personal characteristics on the time spent in fuel poverty. The results indicate that, on average, the experience of fuel poverty in urban areas is longer with a higher probability of fuel poverty persistence. However, on average the rural fuel poor appear more vulnerable to energy price increases while living in private accommodation or a flat increases their probability of remaining fuel poor relative to their urban counterparts. These results indicate policy effectiveness may differ across rural and urban space. However, they also emphasise the limits of spatial targeting. Monitoring the dynamics of fuel poverty is important for ensuring that policy targets are effective and reaching those most in need.

Suggested Citation

  • Roberts, Deborah & Vera-Toscano, Esperanza & Phimister, Euan, 2015. "Fuel poverty in the UK: Is there a difference between rural and urban areas?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 216-223.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:87:y:2015:i:c:p:216-223
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2015.08.034
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421515300781
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2015.08.034?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Euan Phimister, Esperanza Vera-Toscano and Deborah Roberts, 2015. "The Dynamics of Energy Poverty: Evidence from Spain," Economics of Energy & Environmental Policy, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 1).
    2. Stefan Bouzarovski & Saska Petrova & Sergio Tirado-Herrero, 2014. "From Fuel Poverty to Energy Vulnerability: The Importance of Services, Needs and Practices," SPRU Working Paper Series 2014-25, SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School.
    3. Tom Sefton, 2002. "Targeting fuel poverty in England: is the government getting warm?," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 23(3), pages 369-399, September.
    4. John Hills, 2012. "Final report of the Hills Independent Fuel Poverty Review: Getting the Measure of Fuel Poverty," CASE Reports casereport72, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, LSE.
    5. Thomson, Harriet & Snell, Carolyn, 2013. "Quantifying the prevalence of fuel poverty across the European Union," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 563-572.
    6. Liddell, Christine & Morris, Chris & McKenzie, S.J.P. & Rae, Gordon, 2012. "Measuring and monitoring fuel poverty in the UK: National and regional perspectives," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 27-32.
    7. Moore, Richard, 2012. "Definitions of fuel poverty: Implications for policy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 19-26.
    8. Sophia Rabe-Hesketh & Anders Skrondal, 2012. "Multilevel and Longitudinal Modeling Using Stata, 3rd Edition," Stata Press books, StataCorp LP, edition 3, number mimus2, March.
    9. Peter Heindl, 2015. "Measuring Fuel Poverty: General Considerations and Application to German Household Data," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 71(2), pages 178-215, June.
    10. Brunner, Karl-Michael & Spitzer, Markus & Christanell, Anja, 2012. "Experiencing fuel poverty. Coping strategies of low-income households in Vienna/Austria," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 53-59.
    11. Waddams Price, Catherine & Brazier, Karl & Wang, Wenjia, 2012. "Objective and subjective measures of fuel poverty," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 33-39.
    12. Healy, John D. & Clinch, J. Peter, 2004. "Quantifying the severity of fuel poverty, its relationship with poor housing and reasons for non-investment in energy-saving measures in Ireland," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 207-220, January.
    13. Meg Huby & Steve Cinderby & Piran White & Annemarieke de Bruin, 2009. "Measuring Inequality in Rural England: The Effects of Changing Spatial Resolution," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 41(12), pages 3023-3037, December.
    14. Euan Phimister & Richard Upward & Esperanza Vera-Toscano, 2000. "The Dynamics of Low Income in Rural Areas," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(5), pages 407-417.
    15. Ann Huff Stevens, 1999. "Climbing out of Poverty, Falling Back in: Measuring the Persistence of Poverty Over Multiple Spells," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 34(3), pages 557-588.
    16. Liddell, Christine & Morris, Chris, 2010. "Fuel poverty and human health: A review of recent evidence," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(6), pages 2987-2997, June.
    17. Stephen P. Jenkins & Christian Schluter & Gert G. Wagner, 2001. "The Dynamics of Child Poverty: Britain and Germany Compared," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 233, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    18. Sarah Jarvis & Stephen P. Jenkins, 1997. "Low income dynamics in 1990s Britain," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 18(2), pages 123-142, May.
    19. Bouzarovski, Stefan & Petrova, Saska & Sarlamanov, Robert, 2012. "Energy poverty policies in the EU: A critical perspective," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 76-82.
    20. John Hills, 2012. "Getting the measure of fuel poverty: Executive summary," CASE Briefs 31, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, LSE.
    21. repec:aen:journl:eeep4_1_phimister is not listed on IDEAS
    22. Dubois, Ute, 2012. "From targeting to implementation: The role of identification of fuel poor households," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 107-115.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Euan Phimister, Esperanza Vera-Toscano and Deborah Roberts, 2015. "The Dynamics of Energy Poverty: Evidence from Spain," Economics of Energy & Environmental Policy, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 1).
    2. Kahouli, Sondès & Okushima, Shinichiro, 2021. "Regional energy poverty reevaluated: A direct measurement approach applied to France and Japan," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    3. Recep Ulucak & Ramazan Sari & Seyfettin Erdogan & Rui Alexandre Castanho, 2021. "Bibliometric Literature Analysis of a Multi-Dimensional Sustainable Development Issue: Energy Poverty," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-21, August.
    4. Fabbri, Kristian, 2015. "Building and fuel poverty, an index to measure fuel poverty: An Italian case study," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 244-258.
    5. Llorca, Manuel & Rodriguez-Alvarez, Ana & Jamasb, Tooraj, 2020. "Objective vs. subjective fuel poverty and self-assessed health," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    6. Charlier, Dorothée & Legendre, Bérangère, 2021. "Fuel poverty in industrialized countries: Definition, measures and policy implications a review," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 236(C).
    7. Esperanza Vera‐Toscano & Heather Brown, 2022. "Empirical Evidence on the Incidence and Persistence of Energy Poverty in Australia," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 55(4), pages 515-529, December.
    8. Schuessler, Rudolf, 2014. "Energy poverty indicators: Conceptual issues. Part I: The ten-percent-rule and double median/mean indicators," ZEW Discussion Papers 14-037, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    9. Drescher, Katharina & Janzen, Benedikt, 2021. "Determinants, persistence, and dynamics of energy poverty: An empirical assessment using German household survey data," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    10. Deller, David & Turner, Glen & Waddams Price, Catherine, 2021. "Energy poverty indicators: Inconsistencies, implications and where next?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    11. Alexandru Maxim & Costică Mihai & Constantin-Marius Apostoaie & Cristian Popescu & Costel Istrate & Ionel Bostan, 2016. "Implications and Measurement of Energy Poverty across the European Union," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(5), pages 1-20, May.
    12. Sovacool, Benjamin K., 2015. "Fuel poverty, affordability, and energy justice in England: Policy insights from the Warm Front Program," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 93(P1), pages 361-371.
    13. Roberts, Deborah & Vera-Toscano, Esperanza & Phimister, Euan, 2015. "Energy poverty in the UK: Is there a difference between rural and urban areas?," 89th Annual Conference, April 13-15, 2015, Warwick University, Coventry, UK 204213, Agricultural Economics Society.
    14. Romero, José Carlos & Linares, Pedro & López, Xiral, 2018. "The policy implications of energy poverty indicators," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 98-108.
    15. Okushima, Shinichiro, 2017. "Gauging energy poverty: A multidimensional approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 1159-1166.
    16. Okushima, Shinichiro, 2016. "Measuring energy poverty in Japan, 2004–2013," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 557-564.
    17. Stefan Bouzarovski & Saska Petrova & Sergio Tirado-Herrero, 2014. "From Fuel Poverty to Energy Vulnerability: The Importance of Services, Needs and Practices," SPRU Working Paper Series 2014-25, SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School.
    18. Stefan Bouzarovski, 2014. "Energy poverty in the European Union: landscapes of vulnerability," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 3(3), pages 276-289, May.
    19. Dorothée Charlier & Bérangère Legendre, 2016. "Fuel Poverty: A Composite Index Approach," Policy Papers 2016.06, FAERE - French Association of Environmental and Resource Economists.
    20. Heather Brown & Esperanza Vera-Toscano, 2021. "Energy poverty and its relationship with health: empirical evidence on the dynamics of energy poverty and poor health in Australia," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 1(10), pages 1-34, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:87:y:2015:i:c:p:216-223. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.