From the indicator to the territory: estimating energy poverty and analyzing vulnerability in low-income neighbourhoods of Salta

Abstract

 This article presents findings from the 2024 Energy Census conducted in four low-income neighbourhoods in the city of Salta, Argentina. The study aimed to estimate the incidence of energy poverty using the conventional threshold of 10% of household income spent on electricity, while also questioning its applicability through a situated analysis. Based on 336 in-person surveys, both quantitative and qualitative variables were integrated into a multiscalar approach. Results indicate that 26.79% of households face energy poverty; however, this figure rises to 37% when only valid cases are considered. The research demonstrates that formal access to electricity does not necessarily ensure safe or stable conditions, that economic burden does not correlate linearly with income, and that energy poverty is territorially shaped. The article calls for moving beyond reductionist indicators and towards an expanded notion of energy vulnerability, incorporating technical, symbolic, legal and cultural dimensions. It concludes that energy citizenship is frag­mented, and public policies should be reimagined through a lens of territorial justice and situated knowledge.