The Hidden Energy Hardship Hui [workshop] brought 87 participants from 52 organisations to Māngere East Hall in Tāmaki Makaurau [Auckland] over 1.5 days in April 2026. It was the third and final National Expert Workshop of Phase 2 of the Hard-to-Reach (HTR) Energy Users Task, hosted in Aotearoa [New Zealand]. International experts from Sweden and the U.S. joined kaupapa partners [stakeholders] from the community, government, research, industry and philanthropic sectors, before travelling North for a four-day field trip through Te Tai Tokerau [Northland] – Aotearoa’s most deprived region with the highest energy prices.

Six findings dominated the kōrero [discussion]:

• The energy hardship measurement gap is the headline issue.
• Energy literacy, habitability, and financial resilience were the top priorities chosen by hui participants.
• The “meso” connection layer across the energy sector ecosystem is still missing.
• Legal architecture sometimes obstructs measurement.
• Programme delivery funding is still far too low.
• Te Tai Tokerau, NZ’s most deprived region, shows leadership in many ways.