Smart grids and energy democracy: how households are represented in Swedish energy policymaking

Smart grids are widely promoted as key technologies for enabling low-carbon and flexible electricity systems, with households expected to play an active role through dynamic pricing and automation. This article examines the representation of households in Swedish energy policymaking. This is done by investigating how households are represented in two policy processes concerning smart grids and grid tariffs in Sweden, as well as through interviews with energy sector actors. The qualitative analysis of the documents and interviews reveals a significant gap between policy expectations and institutional practice. Using an energy democracy framework, we analyse household representation across four dimensions: actors and representation, capacity and responsibility, framing, and justice. Our findings point to a dominance of technocratic and market-based logics that overlook socio-material inequalities and democratic inclusion. Over time, the policy processes have relied heavily on the same professional actors, which contributes to the same issues being raised and the same answers being given. Both problems and solutions follow a path dependency in the processes, and the involved actors seem unable to introduce new ideas or solutions to the known problems. We argue that integrating diverse household perspectives is crucial for socially legitimate and equitable energy policies.