ABSTRACT

The article provides a widened understanding of the concept of end-user flexibility and nuances the traditional individual-oriented approach often used in discussions on low carbon transitions. The authors draw on 75 narratives from of a group of end users that is often considered to be in a very flexible stage of life, namely students. They discuss the co-production of systems connected to material, structural and social factors that extend beyond individual willingness to be a flexible energy consumer. The article stresses that flexibility is shaped by living conditions, everyday life and social norms in particular ways that makes it hard to achieve for students and others living in shared households. The authors conclude that political incentives for low-carbon transitions typically exclude social groups such as students and other vulnerable groups in society, and hence may unintentionally create and reinforce what they term ‘flexibility poverty’.

摘要

本文提供了对最终用户灵活性概念的更广泛理解，并对低碳转型讨论中经常使用的传统以个人为导向的方法进行了细微差别。作者借鉴了一组最终用户的 75 个叙述，这些最终用户通常被认为处于非常灵活的生活阶段，即学生。他们讨论了与物质、结构和社会因素相关的系统的共同生产，这些因素超出了个人成为灵活能源消费者的意愿。文章强调，生活条件、日常生活和社会规范以特定方式塑造了灵活性，这使得生活在共享家庭中的学生和其他人难以实现。