Increasing Wellbeing Through Energy Demand Reduction: Citizen Perceptions of Local Measures in Greater Brighton and North of Tyne Regions, UK, 2022-2023

The current energy, climate and cost of living crises have affected peoples’ wellbeing, their health, employment and finances showing significant inequalities across population groups and regions. These kinds of challenges entail technological innovation while shifting energy consumption patterns. Yet, the UK transition to Net Zero requires greater transformative change at institutional, infrastructural, sectorial and social levels.

Building on Multi Criteria Mapping and survey methods, this paper investigates how citizens value energy demand reduction options for communities’ wellbeing and identifies multiple social, economic, and environmental ‘co-benefits’, often discounted in policy making. While arguing that energy demand mitigation options can improve citizens’ living conditions and quality of life while diminishing energy use and GHG emissions, the paper challenges the adoption of approaches based on conventional economic models to deliver Net Zero. The analysis of two UK-based case studies discloses that citizens prioritise fairness including environmental intergenerational concerns and value restrictions on individuals’ lifestyle choices. The paper calls for better incorporation of citizens’ values in policy on energy demand reduction.