The unsung heroes of Norway's sustainability transitions? Making visible the “invisible” energy citizenship of low-income households

This paper explores the concept of energy citizenship through the lived experiences of low-income households in Norway, showing a significant disconnect between participatory ideals embedded in national climate and energy policies and the everyday realities of economically marginalised groups. While energy transitions are often framed as collective efforts requiring active citizen engagement, systemic barriers frequently prevent low-income groups from participating in these processes. Drawing on a qualitative study of 73 participants from low-income households, we examine how current policies implicitly define participation through technology adoption and green consumption, thereby rendering alternative sustainability practices invisible. Our findings show that low-income households contribute to sustainability through frugality, low-energy mobility, and sufficiency-oriented consumption, forms of “invisible” sustainability work that remain unrecognised in policy frameworks. Our findings call for a broader conceptualisation of energy citizenship that recognises these low-tech, sufficiency-oriented engagements as legitimate and transformative. We argue that inclusive energy transitions require not only redistributive policy measures but also a shift in how participation is defined and valued, moving beyond economic and technological models to embrace diverse, everyday forms of energy engagements. • The paper explores how energy citizenship is enacted by economically vulnerable households. • The study argues for moving beyond a narrow economic framing of vulnerability in energy transitions. • Low-income groups face dual challenges, both increased financial burdens and exclusion from participation in energy transitions. • Research on energy citizenship needs to better recognise "invisible sustainability work", often already adopted by low-income households. • Policies need a dual focus on counterbalancing adverse effects and supporting sustainable practices among vulnerable groups.