Revealing energy precarity’s punishing impacts on children and teens
In Barcelona, a city in which many buildings exude a history of wealth, increased costs of living, ongoing impacts from the 2009 recession and rising energy prices have put many families into energy precarity. New research by Irene Gonzalez of Enginyeria Sense Fronteres (ESF) investigates how this affects children and teens – arguably the people least able to understand – or change – their situation.
Averaged across the city, the ESF report shows that 15% of households with children cannot afford to keep their homes adequately warm during winter months. A further 13.4% of homes pay their energy bills late. But averages hide strong inequality by neighbourhood: in the Nou Barris district, energy precarity affects an astonishing 35% of households.
Because most research on energy poverty overlooks children and teenagers, scarce data are available and even experts are unsure just how widespread the problem is. The research of ESF is pioneering in two ways: it shifts the language in a nuanced but important way and combines data from literature reviews with insights from lived experiences. The fact that so few people were talking about energy poverty and children was Gonzalez’s motivation. “We saw that there were a lot of families with children in this situation…that affected very much their lives and their relationship with other children,” she says.
ESF prefers the term ‘energy precarity’ (precaridad energética) rather than the more commonly used ‘energy poverty’, believing that it better includes the effects of poor quality and energy inefficient housing and energy prices, as well as supply management by local utilities.
To capture more than the numbers, after reviewing published studies, ESF interviewed both families in energy precarity and professionals who work with children. Speaking with children directly turned out to be complex: many parents would rather their children not speak about their situation. To raise awareness more broadly, ESF also facilitated school workshops and assemblies.
No good choices + the spectre of lifelong impacts
The ESF study reveals that families in energy precarity use four strategies to cope: lowering energy use; reducing consumption of other goods and services to free up funds for energy bills; going into debt; and/or accessing electricity illegally. All have impacts on children and youth in the home. Some carry serious risks for long-term physical and mental health; others affect their personal security or undermine their education – and hence, their life opportunities (Figure 1). While it is helpful to categorise the impacts, there is clear evidence of ‘overlaps’ that lead to cumulative effects.
On the health side, inadequately warm homes cause complications such as asthma or other respiratory illnesses and can also weaken a child’s immune system, making recurring illnesses more likely. Children living in energy precarity are also often undernourished, as household budgets are unable to cover even the most essential items. In turn, malnourished children frequently show slowed physical and mental development.
Learning about mental health impacts for children and teens living in energy precarity raised alarms for ESF. Feelings of isolation and guilt can strongly influence young people, especially teens – as can family stress and stigma from peers. Many teens reported strong feelings of blame towards their parents and said that lack of an outlet to discuss their living situations could cause severe stress within the family. “It gets more and more difficult in building their personalities, because they feel different from the others. They feel less,” Gonzalez explains. The ESF research corroborates a study by the National Children’s Bureau of the United Kingdom, which found that 25% of young people living in energy precarity struggle with mental health issues.
Energy precarity affects both education and school life in numerous ways. First, additional and recurring illnesses may lead to more time away from school, causing children and teens to fall behind their classmates and, indeed, underachieve in relation to their own potential. Students also face a particular challenge that working parents might avoid. Adults who work outside the home may have the advantage of being in warmer spaces a large part of the day. Their children, however, need time at home (after school) to study and do homework, meaning they spend more hours per day in unhealthy conditions. Finally, stigma of poverty can lead to bullying, which can further impact mental health and education.
Some families who have been evicted from their homes resort to illegally occupying empty state or bank-owned housing and using unsafe electrical connections as a lifeline to provide light, heat and energy for essential appliances. While ESF research finds that 70% of such households would be willing to pay for a secure connection, under current Spanish regulation, they are not entitled to an electricity meter or the safety benefits a secure connection would provide. Instead, families rig up unsafe connections and plug too many appliances into a single outlet. Such overloading can lead to electrocution or start a fire. In fact, four minors from a household relying on such a connection died in 2014. Even if they avoid the worst fate, these families live with the uncertainty of disconnection or the threat of criminal persecution.
In short, growing up in energy precarity can undermine health, school performance and social connections – potentially having lifelong negative impacts, which can have life-long impacts including fewer job opportunities and lower self-worth.
Systemic change for healthier children and teens
While Catalonia is noted for putting poverty and energy precarity on the political agenda, stop-gap measures taken to date have not significantly reduced either. A study conducted in 2017 found that extensive social programs only managed to reduce poverty rate from 36.2% to 29.5%, an indication that systemic change is needed.
ESF is one of the few organisations championing reforms in Spain to improve the social and economic rights of children. Recently, electrical disconnections were banned in Catalonia thanks to their work. However, as the research of Gonzalez shows, much more needs to be done to secure equal opportunities for children.
Better detection of children in energy precarity is key, potentially in partnership with organisations involved with children, healthcare providers and schools. Urgent policy measures such as a family allowance and low-priced or free ‘energy for living’ could also help. To ensure safe electricity, ESF is advocating for mandatory meters in all households, including those with illegal connections.
To stimulate long-term change, ESF believes it is crucial to shift the perception of children from passive participants to active citizens. Making sure young people know their rights through workshops, debates and education – and them bringing them ‘to the table’ to have their say – can empower youth in relation to their energy.
“It is also urgent that we, as a society, abandon individualistic positions that link the fate of children to the material conditions of the adults with whom they live,” says Gonzalez.
Enginyeria Sense Fronteres (Engineeers without Borders) is a group of engineering professionals, teachers and students dedicated to guaranteeing universal access to basic services.