The Spatial Constitution of Domestic Energy Advice
Opportunities and Challenges for Place‐Based Net Zero
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20103165 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Neil Simcock (0000-0002-1408-962X, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Health, Innovation, Technology and Science Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool UK, corresponding author), Sophie Laidlaw (0009-0004-1681-4057, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Health, Innovation, Technology and Science Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool UK), Michael Landry (School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Health, Innovation, Technology and Science Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool UK) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 58 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Area (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0004-0894 • E-ISSN: 1475-4762 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/area.70130 |
| OpenAlex | W7165176889 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 24 |
This paper critically assesses the opportunities and challenges arising from localised forms of domestic energy advice (DEA) provision, within the context of emerging ‘place‐based’ approaches to net zero governance. DEA will play a key role in achieving net zero by facilitating the installation and usage of low‐carbon measures in homes, but there is little research that examines how the spatial configuration of advice programmes may influence their efficacy. This paper addresses this research gap, drawing empirical data from an in‐depth workshop with 19 DEA professionals in northwest England and an analysis of evaluation reports from seven DEA organisations. The findings suggest that place should be considered a fundamental and active part of the DEA process, not merely a backdrop in which advice provision happens. Localised, place‐based approaches can be advantageous for ensuring DEA is relevant to the circumstances of communities and individuals, and for helping to establish relations of trust between advisors and citizens. However, local DEA operates within a multi‐scalar governance landscape, and existing national policies relating to the financing of home energy retrofits and the funding of energy advice organisations often hinder the capacity of local actors to translate advice into action. We conclude by arguing for a form of ‘progressive relational localism’, involving the establishment of a national energy advice network that would empower local actors and support equitable place‐based decarbonisation
Advice (programming) · Constitution · Context (archaeology) · Corporate governance · Empirical research · Energy (signal processing) · Local governance · Zero (linguistics) · Energy and Environment Impacts · Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy · Sustainability and Climate Change Governance
Spatializing energy justice
Networked, fragmented, unequal
Rethinking retrofit
Tackling fuel poverty through household advice and support
Never try and face the journey alone
Place‐based and people‐centred
Energy advice for Traveller Communities in the context of ethnic and spatial premiums
Place identity and climate change adaptation
Buzz
(Re-)locating ‘place’ in energy demand
A cure-all for energy poverty? Thinking critically about energy advice
Towards a Relational Sociology of Retrofit
| Highly cited | No |
|---|