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energy poverty

American  
[en-er-jee pov-er-tee] / ˈɛn ər dʒi ˌpɒv ər ti /

noun

  1. a lack of adequate access to safe, affordable sources of electricity or fuel for warmth, light, cooking, etc..

    The report stated that households living in privately rented homes are more at risk of experiencing energy poverty than those who own their own homes.


Etymology

Origin of energy poverty

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

He said he found Energy Corps’s approach to addressing energy poverty refreshing.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 18, 2026

For the people of Gaza, the conflict meant energy poverty.

From Salon Mar. 27, 2025

But those energy retrofits are expensive and are likely beyond the reach of many low-income households, which could lead to what the researchers call an energy poverty trap.

From Science Daily May 31, 2024

Helping developing nations build renewable energy infrastructure will both avert emissions and alleviate the energy poverty that afflicts more than 700 million people worldwide, it said.

From Washington Post Mar. 20, 2023

They say warm hubs exist to ease loneliness as well as energy poverty.

From Seattle Times Mar. 4, 2023

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