Energy poverty

Energy poverty is a condition in which households lack adequate access to affordable, reliable energy services. It can limit heating, cooling, lighting, cooking, and participation in modern life.

Energy affordability: The relationship between energy costs and the resources households have available to pay them. High bills relative to income can force households to reduce essential energy use.
Thermal comfort: A person's subjective sense of satisfaction with the temperature of their surroundings. Inadequate heating or cooling makes comfortable indoor conditions difficult to maintain.
Low-income home energy assistance: Public support that helps eligible households pay energy bills or meet essential home energy needs. Bill assistance directly targets affordability barriers for households at risk.
Energy poverty measurement: The methods used to quantify household shortfalls in affordable, reliable, and adequate energy services. Different indicators identify different households and can change policy priorities.
Energy access: The availability and use of energy services, including electricity and clean cooking fuels. Physical connections and usable fuels determine which services households can obtain.
Indoor air quality: The condition of air within buildings, shaped by pollutants, ventilation, and indoor sources. Unaffordable clean fuels can lead households to use polluting fuels indoors.
Energy poverty indicators: Measures used to identify or compare household energy deprivation. Indicators translate a broad condition into evidence for targeting and evaluation.
Minimum energy needs: The energy services required to meet basic household needs under particular social and environmental conditions. There is no single universal threshold for adequate household energy.
Energy insecurity: Uncertainty or difficulty in obtaining adequate household energy without sacrificing other necessities. It captures unstable access and trade-offs that a single affordability measure can miss.
Energy justice: The fair distribution of energy benefits and burdens, alongside inclusive decision-making and recognition. It frames energy poverty as an issue of unequal access, costs, and power.

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