**If yes to Q49** What do you think your energy rights are? (Q49A)

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March 26, 2021 - 11:19am

Critical Commentary

The chart reflects responses to Question #49A from the Winter 2020 survey, which asked: “If yes to 49, what do you think your energy rights are?” This was a check-all-that-apply question, and there were 61 responses. The pre-structured options for this question were as follows:

 

  • I have a right to electricity 

  • I have a right to internet 

  • I have a right to air conditioning  

  • I have a right to clean water for bathing, cooking, and drinking - 18

  • I have a right to heat 

  • I have a right to choose my energy provider 

  • I have a right to choose the source of my energy supply 

  • I have a right to phone service

  • I have a right to financial assistance for any of these services 

  • I have a right to an itemized (breakdown of my) utility bill 

  • I have a right to updated appliances, if I am a renter, so that my bills are affordable  

  • I have a right to appliances and HVAC units that keep my living space healthy 

  • Other 

The most common response was “other”, with 28 individuals selecting this option. When individuals selected "other", they elaborated, and their open-ended responses were thematically coded:

  • Four individuals believe they have a right to gas
  • Seven individuals believe they have a right to a constant and reliable supply of energy
  • Three individuals believe that they have a right to affordable energy
  • Six individuals believe that they have a right to enough energy to live a comfortable life/to have their basic needs met
  • Three individuals believe that they have a right to clean energy
  • Three individuals said "I don't know"
  • One individual believes that they have a right to go to a Neighborhood Energy Center (NEC) for help
  • One individual believes they have a right to a safe home

Twenty-seven individuals said “I have a right to electricity”, 18 individuals said “I have a right to clean water for bathing, cooking, and drinking”, 16 individuals said “I have a right to heat”, six individuals said “I have a right to internet”, four individuals said “I have a right to air conditioning”, five individuals said “I have a right to financial assistance for any of these services”, and three individuals said “I have a right to choose my energy provider”. Two individuals said “I have a right to phone service”, two individuals said “I have a right to an itemized (breakdown of my) utility bill”, two individuals said “I have a right to updated appliances, if I am a renter, so that my bills are affordable”, zero individuals said “I have a right to choose the source of my energy supply”, and zero individuals said “I have a right to appliances and HVAC units that keep my living space healthy”. It’s important to note that many individuals' comments spoke to multiple options in the pre-structured list. 

The data was produced by the Shifting Energy Demands in COVID-19 Survey - Overview, which was administered to 83 people over a fourteen week period between December 2020 and March 2021. Visit the Winter 2020 Shifting Energy Demands in COVID-19 - Survey Results page to view more data from our survey. The project is approved by Drexel’s IRB. 

Cite as

Morgan Sarao, "**If yes to Q49** What do you think your energy rights are? (Q49A)", contributed by Morgan Sarao and Alison Kenner, The Energy Rights Project, Platform for Experimental Collaborative Ethnography, last modified 31 May 2021, accessed 11 December 2024. https://energyrights.info/content/if-yes-q49-what-do-you-think-your-energy-rights-are-q49a