PhD in Economics

The ESRC-WRDTP PhD studentship based at the University of Sheffield’s School of Economics in Sheffield, UK. The studentship focuses on affordability and debt in the UK energy sector, investigating welfare effects and the distributional makeup of household energy-debt/arrears using theoretical and econometric methods. The project may explore uptake of support to install “win-win” technologies to ensure more affordable and sustainable energy consumption. The student will work in close partnership with Ofgem and National Energy Action (NEA) and will undertake a 3-month Research in Practice placement at Ofgem’s Headquarters in London. Data sources mentioned include Understanding Society and the Smart Energy Research Lab. The studentship will commence on 1st October 2026.