Reframing how we talk about ‘energy poverty’

Abstract

A critical consideration of the dominant vocabulary on home energy injustices around the world is overdue. We briefly unpack terms such as ‘energy poor’, ‘fuel poor’, ‘energy vulnerable’ and ‘hard to reach’, question their utility and argue that they may do more harm than good. While acknowledging our own positionality and past use of such terminology, we argue that future debates on the inability to secure needed energy in the home should focus on the structural challenges imposed by wider societal and political choices. We contend that changing the ways in which energy injustices in the home are framed in scientific and policy phraseologies is a key step towards bold and equitable global action, in the face of mounting socio-environmental crises. Terminology surrounding home energy injustices has been crucial for drawing attention to this issue; however, as the field develops, so must associated language. This Perspective argues that the scientific and policy phraseologies around energy injustices in the home need to be updated.