Approaches to address the gap in research on energy use and racialization in the UK

This paper shares findings from research at the intersection of energy use and racialization - an under-researched topic in the UK. Existing literature can be further strengthened by emphasising the energy use experiences of those who are racially disadvantaged, the role played by structures in contributing to or addressing these disadvantages, and what achieving racial justice can look like, in the UK's context. We sought to understand the reasons for this gap and identify potential approaches to address it in the UK, through semi-structured interviews, whose responses were analysed thematically and validated through a workshop. Participants for the semi-structured interviews (n = 27) and workshop (n = 45) were identified among energy and social researchers and practitioners in the UK. Interview questions explored reasons for the dearth in research, understanding the current state of energy and racialization research (at an experiential and structural level), and aspiring for racial justice in energy research (through a pluralistic definition of racial justice). Thematic qualitative analysis of the interviews, that were further validated by the workshop, revealed the following areas for further investigation-(a) Energy services where people demonstrably experience racialized disadvantages, namely in the built environment, transport, health, and food; (b) Processes through which racially disadvantaged people are disproportionately impacted by how the energy system is governed, especially with respect to norms around how energy use is managed, trust and acceptance of low-carbon technologies, and access to energy advice services; and (c) Methods to strengthen the evidence's explanatory power in a non-extractive manner. The paper concludes with a call to further research about the diverse energy practices and needs of racially disadvantaged people, thereby challenging assumptions around an archetypal low-carbon energy consumer, and its implications for energy justice in the path to decarbonise.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12053-025-10390-6.