Define Fuel Poverty

I had an interesting conversation today with a local stock broker. During our discussion I mentioned fuel poverty. He stopped me mid-sentence....

"What is that?" he asked.

What is what? I said.

What is fuel poverty? What is your definition of Fuel Poverty?" he asked.

I thought everyone had heard it yet he told me he had not heard the term before....

                                                       but it struck him....

"How do you define it?" he asked.

Hmmm...my definition of fuel poverty is that one spends so much of their disposible income on fuel - whether for keeping warm, driving to appointments or heating water - that they don't have enough money to enjoy the things they want to enjoy, or feed their family, or pay their mortgage.

 

 

 

The "official" Wikipedia definition of Fuel Poverty is, "A fuel poor household is one which cannot afford to keep adequately warm at reasonable cost." As the wiki says, this is a popular term in the UK. I think it is a term we need to become familiar with in the U.S.

Whether in the north...where heating is important....

         or in the south...where cooling is important.....

   Fuel poverty is real....

             this is why I am happy to see incentives for not only energy efficiency, but renewable energy, in the stimulus bill...

 

    How do you define, "Fuel Poverty??"

*photo courtesy Gary Hammerlund, HERS Rater, Certified Energy Efficient