Understanding Household Energy Decision-Making and Vulnerability: Intersectional Perspectives from Austria

How are energy-related decisions negotiated within households, and how do socio-economic conditions affect the ways households navigate rising energy costs? This webinar presents selected findings from an Austrian household survey conducted under the EmPOWERing All Task of the Users TCP. The survey examines energy consumption patterns, sustainability awareness, energy literacy, and intra-household energy practices and decision-making processes through an intersectional lens, specially reflecting on the gender norms, household dynamics, and care responsibilities. The session also draws on qualitative focus group discussions that bring the lived realities of energy-vulnerable households into view. The discussions explore experienced barriers, developed coping strategies, and the support needs, illuminating how constrained households adjust everyday energy practices and cope with financial pressures and systematic energy uncertainties.