Energy Biographies Research Report

Energy Biographies created a bespoke social science methodology that draws on insights from lifecourse studies, practice theory, and geographical studies of community and place. In bringing together these insights, it recognizes that what people do and how they understand themselves are multiply conditioned. Rather than simply being an outgrowth of more or less rational choices based on available information about the likely consequences of their actions, actions and beliefs are actively moulded by the technological infrastructure on which everyday life depends, the shared practices in which people are participants, the relationships and experiences which shape their biographies, and the evolution of the different communities (of place and of interest) in which they are located. Energy Biographies findings identify several overlooked influences on how energy use changes across the lifecourse and within different community contexts. They suggest that the dominant foci of policy on energy demand (e.g. technology-enabled changes in individual behaviour) may be misplaced, and offers openings towards alternative pathways for change