'The Poor Pay Double' : Relational Spaces of Energy Poverty in Post-Socialism

This paper aims to develop a relational geographical interpretation of energy poverty in the post-socialist states of Eastern and Central Europe, through a field-based study of inadequately-heated homes in the Macedonian cities of Stip and Skopje. I argue that energy poverty is produced by the relationships among three sets of contingencies: the socio-economic implications of energy reforms in post-socialism, the inadequate energy efficiency of the homes of energy-poor households, and the mismatch between housing needs and heating systems at the household level. As a result of such interdependencies, households may become imprisoned in particular types of socio-spatial arrangements that contribute to the emergence of poverty