Reframing how we talk about ‘energy poverty’

Bouzarovski, S, Cedano-Villavicencio, KG, Delina, LL, Martiskainen, M, Reames, TG and Simcock, N (2025) Reframing how we talk about ‘energy poverty’. Nature Energy.

Text Reframing how we talk about ‘energy poverty’.pdf - Accepted Version Access Restricted until 17 December 2025. Download (203kB)

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.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature’s AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-025-01794-w
Uncontrolled Keywords:	0906 Electrical and Electronic Engineering; 0907 Environmental Engineering; 4008 Electrical engineering; 4017 Mechanical engineering
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences
Divisions:	Biological and Environmental Sciences (from Sep 19)
Publisher:	Nature Research
Date of acceptance:	2 May 2025
Date Deposited:	17 Jun 2025 14:36
Last Modified:	17 Jun 2025 14:45
DOI or ID number:	10.1038/s41560-025-01794-w
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/26606

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