DOTHAN, Ala. (WDNews) According to new research, the labels “energy poor” and “fuel poor” should be dropped when discussing persons who are having difficulty paying their electricity bills.
The international study, which was published on June 18 by the Energy Demand Research Centre (EDRC), contends that rather than acknowledging more significant systemic problems like failed infrastructure, policy gaps, and socioeconomic disparity, such terminology inadvertently places blame on specific people and perpetuates stigma.
According to a different U.S. research, roughly one in three American households has experienced increasing energy poverty. This figure could only increase if income and wealth disparity keep rising.
Alabama has one of the highest rates of people battling to keep the power on in 2020, five years ago. These figures align with those collected in 2015.
Professor Stefan Bouzarovski of the University of Manchester, the study’s principal author, stated that language influences our comprehension of societal issues. We run the risk of perpetuating the very disparities we are trying to address if we keep using victim-blaming and stigmatizing language.
