PhD Studentship: Welfare and Distributional Effects of Energy-Affordability and Debt: Consumer Policy Beyond the Energy Crisis

The ESRC-WRDTP is pleased to offer a PhD studentship based at the University of Sheffield’s School of Economics. The student will work in close partnership with the UK’s energy regulator (Office of Gas and Electricity Markets, Ofgem) and the UK’s national fuel poverty charity (National Energy Action, NEA). A 3-month Research in Practice placement will be provided at Ofgem’s Headquarters (London).

This WRDTP collaborative studentship will focus on affordability and debt in the UK energy sector. The research will draw on theoretical and econometric methods to investigate the welfare effects and distributional makeup of household energy-debt/arrears. The research could further explore whether/which households take up support to install “win-win” technologies, ensuring more affordable and sustainable energy consumption. It will use data sources such as Understanding Society and the Smart Energy Research Lab. Its findings will provide policymakers and practitioners with evidence to design policies optimally to address the dual challenge of energy-affordability and energy-debt/arrears.

The student will be supervised by Dr Andrew Burlinson, Dr Eleni Stathopoulou, Professor Karl Taylor (UoS), Dr Daire McCoy (Ofgem, LSE) and Matt Copeland (NEA). Interested candidates should contact Dr Burlinson (a.c.burlinson@sheffield.ac.uk).

How to Apply

Please apply through the University of Sheffield Postgraduate Application System. For further information and resources on the application process and how to write a PhD application please click here. We strongly recommend that applicants read the WRDTP guidance for applicants, assessment criteria and ESRC postgraduate funding guidelines before submitting their application.

Your application should include:

• Cover letter/supporting statement
• Certificates and academic transcripts
• Two academic references
• Academic CV
• Example of your written work

The deadline for applications is 9 March 2026. Applications submitted after this deadline will not be considered.

You can only be nominated by one WRDTP university for a WRDTP Studentship. The student nominated for this award will be quality checked and approved by the WRDTP Academic Quality Committee prior to any studentship offer. As part of this separate WTDTP nomination process, you will complete a WRDTP Studentship Application Form.

The studentship will commence on 1st October 2026.

A strong economics background is essential. Applicants should have, or expect to obtain a Master’s degree with Merit (or international equivalent) and have a 2:1 or 1st class honours degree in Economics or a related subject.

All applicants must have competent spoken and written English. Applicants whose first language is not English and who do not hold a degree from an English-speaking university will need to take an English language test. The scores currently required are: 6.5 in IELTS with at least 6.0 in each component and 90 in the TOEFL iBT test.

To ensure that all students acquire the core research skills necessary to undertake a doctoral project, the structure and duration of the WRDTP’s awards depend on the applicant’s previous academic experience, and any social science research training or experience already undertaken. Awards can be offered for 3.5 years, 3.75 years (with an integrated PGCert) or 1+3.5 years (including an MA in Social research). More information can be found on the WRDTP website.

We believe that a diverse and supportive environment, bringing varied perspectives to our work and allowing people to blossom, is the best platform for excellent research. We actively encourage and welcome applications from people with disabilities, Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, and the LGBT+ community.

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