Energy poverty in contexts of urban exclusion: New approaches for action from Latin America

As an initial reflection to this article we can point out that, in essence, which differentiates a form of poverty from another is the type of human need mentioned. This is how the United Nations Organization defines the concept of general poverty such as: “A condition characterized by severe deprivation of human needs”, referring to food, health and housing needs (UN, 1995, p. 57). We can define then that energy poverty is a specific form of deprivation based on a dependence on outsourced domestic resources, among which we can count, the use of air conditioning, artificial lighting, or food cooking. As for urban exclusion as aggravating this condition, it is necessary to first place this reflection in the light of the evidence that have so far allowed to notice the occurrence of the phenomenon in the region.