A household is energy poor when they cannot meet energy needs. Despite its prevalence, the US has not formally recognized energy poverty as a problem distinct from general poverty at the federal level, which limits effective responses. In this Review, we examine the measurement and evaluative metrics used by the two federally-funded energy programs focused on reducing high energy bills to understand how program eligibility requirements and congressional funding appropriations have shaped the national understanding and implementation of energy poverty assistance. We find that current measurement and evaluative metrics hinge on the distribution of government resources and the number of vulnerable households assisted, rather than improving household well-being and reducing overall energy poverty. We suggest that comparisons to formal food insecurity and fuel poverty recognition and national responses in the US and UK, respectively, can help inform the development of more comprehensive US responses to energy poverty going forward.

当家庭无法满足能源需求时，他们的能源就很贫乏。尽管普遍存在，但美国尚未正式将能源贫困视为与联邦一级的普遍贫困不同的问题，这限制了有效的应对措施。在这篇评论中，我们研究了两个联邦资助的能源计划所使用的测量和评估指标，这些计划着重于降低高能源费用，以了解计划资格要求和国会拨款如何影响了国家对能源贫困援助的理解和实施。我们发现，当前的衡量和评估指标取决于政府资源的分配和所援助的脆弱家庭的数量，而不是改善家庭福祉和减少总体能源贫困。