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Is Fuel Poverty in Ireland a Distinct Type of Deprivation?

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  • Dorothy Watson

    (Economic and Social Research Institute, Dublin; Trinity College Dublin)

  • Bertrand Maitre

    (Economic and Social Research Institute, Dublin; Trinity College Dublin)

Abstract

In this paper, we draw on the Central Statistics Office SILC data for Ireland to ask whether fuel poverty is a distinctive type of deprivation that warrants a fundamentally different policy response than poverty in general. We examine the overlap between fuel poverty (based on three self-report items) and poverty in general – with a particular emphasis on the national indicator of basic deprivation which is used in the measurement of poverty for policy purposes in Ireland. We examine changes in the overlap between 2004 and 2011 and the risk factors for fuel poverty compared to those for deprivation more generally. The paper concludes, based on evidence from factor analysis and multinomial regression, that fuel poverty is better regarded as an aspect of low living standards rather than being a distinct dimension of deprivation.

Suggested Citation

  • Dorothy Watson & Bertrand Maitre, 2015. "Is Fuel Poverty in Ireland a Distinct Type of Deprivation?," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 46(2), pages 267-291.
    • Handle: RePEc:eso:journl:v:46:y:2015:i:2:p:267-291
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Tovar Reaños, Miguel A., 2021. "Fuel for poverty: A model for the relationship between income and fuel poverty. Evidence from Irish microdata," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    3. Dorothee Charlier and Sondes Kahouli, 2019. "From Residential Energy Demand to Fuel Poverty: Income-induced Non-linearities in the Reactions of Households to Energy Price Fluctuations," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 2).
    4. Coyne, Bryan & Lyons, Sean & McCoy, Daire, 2016. "The Effects of Home Energy Efficiency Upgrades on Social Housing Tenants: Evidence from Ireland," Papers WP544, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    5. Farrell, Niall, 2017. "What Factors Drive Inequalities in Carbon Tax Incidence? Decomposing Socioeconomic Inequalities in Carbon Tax Incidence in Ireland," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 31-45.
    6. O'Malley, Seamus & Roantree, Barra & Curtis, John, 2020. "Carbon taxes, poverty and compensation options," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number SUSTAT98, June.
    7. Barrett, Michelle & Farrell, Niall & Roantree, Barra, 2022. "Energy poverty and deprivation in Ireland," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS144, June.
    8. Harker Steele, Amanda J. & Bergstrom, John C., 2018. "Does Energy Efficiency Effect Energy Security? An Analysis of Energy Efficient Upgrades and Household Energy Security," 2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C. 274186, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    9. Kelly, J. Andrew & Clinch, J. Peter & Kelleher, L. & Shahab, S., 2020. "Enabling a just transition: A composite indicator for assessing home-heating energy-poverty risk and the impact of environmental policy measures," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    10. Poruschi, Lavinia & Ambrey, Christopher L., 2018. "Densification, what does it mean for fuel poverty and energy justice? An empirical analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 208-217.
    11. Lowans, Christopher & Foley, Aoife & Del Rio, Dylan Furszyfer & Caulfield, Brian & Sovacool, Benjamin K. & Griffiths, Steven & Rooney, David, 2023. "What causes energy and transport poverty in Ireland? Analysing demographic, economic, and social dynamics, and policy implications," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    12. Graeme O’Meara, 2016. "A Review of the Literature on Fuel Poverty with a Focus on Ireland," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 128(1), pages 285-303, August.
    13. Fan, Qiuyan & Hajiyeva, Aytan Merdan, 2022. "Nexus between energy efficiency finance and renewable energy development: Empirical evidence from G-7 economies," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 1077-1086.
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    16. Reanos, Miguel Tovar & Curtis, John & Pillai, Arya & Meier, David, 2023. "Fuel poverty and financial literacy: Evidence from Irish home owners," Papers WP751, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).

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    fuel poverty; Ireland;

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