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  • Policy Brief
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ENERGY SECURITY

Temperature extremes exacerbate energy insecurity for Indigenous communities in remote Australia

Nature Energy volume 7, pages 11–12 (2022)Cite this article

Subjects

For remote Indigenous communities prepaying for electricity in Australia’s Northern Territory, temperature extremes increase reliance on the services that energy provides and the risk of disconnection of those services. Policy should focus on reducing the frequency, duration and negative impacts of disconnection, within the context of a warming climate.

Messages for policy

  • Electricity disconnections among households with prepayment meters are more frequent during temperature extremes, curtailing access to essential services.

  • Households with high electricity use experience more disconnection events, so policy responses should account for household structure and occupancy, as well as the opportunity to use rooftop solar.

  • Greater visibility and understanding of data on disconnections in these communities is needed to determine the extent of their energy insecurity.

  • Policy should seek to reduce the frequency and duration of involuntary self-disconnections in remote communities, particularly during extreme temperatures.

  • To account for the multifaceted nature of energy insecurity, policy responses need to be informed by residents, local councils, healthcare professionals and other relevant organizations.

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Fig. 1: Temperature anomalies and the impact of temperature on disconnections and electricity use.

References

Further Reading

  • Klerck, M. Tangentyere Council, Submission to the House of Representatives Inquiry into Homelessness in Australia (Tangentyere Council Aboriginal Corporation, 2020); https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/d440a6ac/files/uploaded/House%20of%20Representatives%20Inquiry%20into%20Homelessness%20in%20Australia%202020.pdf. This investigation of data for 570 households prepaying for electricity in Mpwartne/Alice Springs revealed that 420 homes (74%) were disconnected from electricity between April and June 2019.

  • O’Sullivan, K. C., Howden-Chapman, P. L. & Fougere, G. Making the connection: the relationship between fuel poverty, electricity disconnection, and prepayment metering. Energy Policy 39, 733–741 (2011). This study finds a connection between fuel poverty, electricity disconnection and the use of prepayment metering for vulnerable older people in New Zealand.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hernandez, D. Understanding ‘energy insecurity’ and why it matters to health. Soc. Sci. Med. 167, 1–10 (2016). This article describes the multidimensional nature of energy insecurity, which includes economic, physical and behavioural dimensions, and identifies the types of adverse environmental, health and social consequences that can occur.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flaherty, M., Carley, S. & Konisky, D. M. Electric utility disconnection policy and vulnerable populations. Electr. J. 33, 106859 (2020). This paper explores the differences in utility disconnection policies that have the potential to protect vulnerable populations from exposure to excessive heat or cold.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Longden, T. The impact of temperature on mortality across different climate zones. Clim. Change 157, 221–242 (2019). This study shows how exposure to extreme temperatures is associated with higher death rates in the three hottest climate zones in Australia, which correspond with the Northern Territory.

    Article  Google Scholar 

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University (ANU), Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

    Thomas Longden

  2. Zero Carbon Energy for the Asia Pacific Grand Challenge, ANU, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

    Thomas Longden, Brad Riley & Lee V. White

  3. Research School of Population Health, ANU, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

    Simon Quilty

  4. Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR), ANU, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

    Brad Riley & Michael Klerck

  5. School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet), ANU, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

    Lee V. White

  6. Tangentyere Council Aboriginal Corporation, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia

    Michael Klerck & Vanessa Napaltjarri Davis

  7. Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation, Tennant Creek, Northern Territory, Australia

    Norman Frank Jupurrurla

Authors
  1. Thomas Longden
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  2. Simon Quilty
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  3. Brad Riley
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  4. Lee V. White
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  5. Michael Klerck
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  6. Vanessa Napaltjarri Davis
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  7. Norman Frank Jupurrurla
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael Klerck.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Cite this article

Longden, T., Quilty, S., Riley, B. et al. Temperature extremes exacerbate energy insecurity for Indigenous communities in remote Australia. Nat Energy 7, 11–12 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-021-00968-6

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