GC: n

CT: The rising cost of the energy bill brings additional pressure to household budgets’. As a result, some European households are spending a higher share of their budget on domestic energy services.
Bearing the rising cost of the energy bill is particularly hard for low-income households, who may, depending on their individual circumstances, under-heat their homes, reduce consumption on other essential goods and services or get into debt to meet their energy needs.
While household’s income remained relatively flat, higher energy bills put more and more households under the risk of falling into energy poverty.

S: EC – http://www.goo.gl/h7fmJP (last access: 11 December 2017)

N: 1. – energy (n) – 1590s, “force of expression,” from Middle French énergie (16c.), from Late Latin energia, from Greek energeia “activity, action, operation,” from energos “active, working,” from en “at” (see en- (2)) + ergon “work, that which is wrought; business; action,” from PIE root *werg- “to do.” Used by Aristotle with a sense of “actuality, reality, existence” (opposed to “potential”) but this was misunderstood in Late Latin and afterward as “force of expression,” as the power which calls up realistic mental pictures. Broader meaning of “power” in English is first recorded 1660s. Scientific use is from 1807. Energy crisis first attested 1970.
– poverty (n) – Late 12c., from Old French poverte “poverty, misery, wretched condition” (Modern French pauvreté), from Latin paupertatem (nominative paupertas) “poverty,” from pauper “poor”.
2. Energy poverty is a lack of access to modern energy services. These services are defined as household access to electricity and clean cooking facilities (e.g. fuels and stoves that do not cause air pollution in houses).
3. Access to energy is a prerequisite of human development. Energy is needed for individual survival, it is important for the provision of social services such as education and health and a critical input into all economic sectors from household production or farming, to industry. The wealth and development status of a nation and its inhabitants is closely correlated to the type and extent of access to energy. The more ready usable energy and the more efficient energy converting technologies are available, the better are the conditions for development of individuals, households, communities, the society and its economy. Thus, improving access to energy is a continuous challenge for governments and development organisations.
4. Energy poverty is mostly referred to as the lack of access or lack of affordability to modern energy services. While lack of access is more prevalent in developing countries, some households also in the EU may lack access to modern energy services such as electricity and clean cooking facilities.
In the majority of the EU Member States, however, energy poverty refers to the lack of affordability, which is generally understood as the difficulty for low-income households to pay for domestic energy services.

S: 1. OED – https://goo.gl/orS3Sw; https://goo.gl/yn8f5Y; https://goo.gl/mQDt4D(last access: 11 December 2017). 2 & 3. Energypedia – http://www.goo.gl/UjcPzj (last access: 11 December 2017). 4. EC – http://www.goo.gl/h7fmJP (last access: 11 December 2017).

SYN: domestic energy deprivation, domestic energy poverty. (depending on context)

S: CEA – https://goo.gl/698Hgf (last access: 11 December 2017)

CR: electrical energy, electricity, energy, poverty.