Revealing relational impacts of thermal retrofit for energy justice in low-income urban housing

We investigate how thermal retrofitting influences household well-being and energy justice among low-income residents in southern Chile using a mixed-methods, convergent design. The quantitative strand compares 103 retrofitted with 103 non-retrofitted households; the qualitative one includes 18 interviews balanced by retrofit status. Retrofitted homes reported markedly fewer adverse outcomes: feelings of cold were reported by about one in seven retrofitted households versus nearly one in two among controls; health problems linked to heating quality fell from about one in three in non-retrofitted homes to around one in fifty in retrofitted homes; and reports of sleep disruption and concentration difficulties were roughly one-third as common after retrofit. Limiting heater use to save money emerged as a consistent risk factor across outcomes, pointing to the role of financial stress in thermal rationing. Interviews explain these patterns through relational mechanisms—greater thermal autonomy, a lighter emotional burden of thermal care, and eased budget pressures—that reconfigure daily routines and the symbolic meaning of home. While retrofitting does not shift general self-rated health in the short term, it does reduce specific health-related problems and improves other domains of well-being. We conclude that thermal retrofits advance energy justice by reducing everyday exposure to cold and enabling more dignified, health-conducive domestic environments in vulnerable urban settings. • Mixed-method study links thermal retrofits to changes in urban household well-being. • Survey and interviews reveal comfort gains but persistent energy inequities. • Household size and layout critically shape retrofit effectiveness and impact. • Rebound effects highlight limits of retrofit-only approaches in urban low-income households.