Backyarding: Energy poverty and the shift to renewable energy

Access to energy is considered to be essential to living a dignified and productive life. Yet, a significant number of households in South Africa either experience some form of energy poverty or can be described as living in a perpetual state of energy poverty.

Access to safe, sustainable and renewable energy sources is key to improving the quality of life and the prospects of household improvement for those who are most impacted by energy poverty. This includes people who live in under-serviced areas, such as in informal settlements and backyard housing.

This practice brief examines the concept of energy poverty, how it manifests in practice and the many complex drivers that need to be addressed (PDF, 2.29 MB). It relates these to the opportunities and inherent challenges in South Africa’s attempts to facilitate a just energy transition - from a carbon-based economy to relying on clean, renewable and sustainable energy sources.