Energy choices in life trajectories: modeling and simulations under different scenarios.

Summary The issue of fuel poverty is of growing interest in the economic, political and social spheres. This thesis in economics focuses on the representation and analysis of the interactions of three fundamental items in the constrained expenses of households, namely health, housing, and energy, in order to reveal relevant levers for the implementation of actions to combat fuel poverty. This paper proposes an original theoretical and analytical analysis, by approaching this phenomenon in terms of equity, thus highlighting the existence of inequalities and justifying the implementation of complementary, or even new, measures in favor of greater equity between individuals with regard to the energy good. On the other hand, characterizing the dynamics of this phenomenon provides valuable information on the type of measures (i.e., bill payment assistance, innovative bill payment methods, housing renovation assistance) that can be put in place to counteract this phenomenon, and thus participate in the pursuit of the underlying equity objectives. Secondly, the analysis of the consequences of fuel poverty on other dimensions than those referring to energy (i.e., health) allows policy makers to question its multidimensional and porous aspect with other dimensions of social precariousness. This phenomenon is a vector contributing to the aggravation of other inequalities (i.e., health inequalities), which can thus compromise the pursuit of the equity objective of public decision-makers. Finally, the study of new and innovative means of payment for the energy good (i.e., prepayment), at lower costs, allows us to identify prepayment as a tool that can contribute to the achievement of the objectives of horizontal and vertical equity respectively.