Most current fossil-fuel sources of energy have three major disadvantages. The first disadvantage is that these sources are all finite and are rapidly and permanently being depleted due to its extensive exploitation. The second disadvantage being that these sources are much more expensive than most developed renewable energy sources, mainly due to the continuous hunger for these scarce resources, and as of more recently, due to the added carbon taxes and other environmental charges.

These high costs are being borne by the people this power is supplied to, by ways of expensive energy bills. Settling expensive energy bills are more often extremely difficult for poorer people with minimal income to handle, and is one of the main reasons behind why people in energy poverty voluntarily stay away from grid-connected power. As explained earlier, people deprived of electricity can often have serious physical, mental, social, or health consequences.

These limited, costly, and polluting sources of electricity can be switched to infinite sources of clean, cheap energy such as solar, wind, hydro, ocean, or geothermal power. This switch has two major advantages. The first advantage, which will also answer the third disadvantage of fossil-fuels, is that renewable energy is clean and does not harm the environment like fossil fuels. The second advantage is that these sources does not consume any finite sources of fuel, and hence have no fuel costs; being nearly a completely free source of energy.

Cheaper and cleaner power means reduction in energy poverty and reduction in pollution. Reduction in energy poverty also means the lesser trees will be cut to be used as fuel-wood, which mean more trees saved and less carbon dioxide levels.

As briefly described here, renewable energy is the solution to a whole chain of interlinked issues, including and not limited to, energy poverty. This is further elaborated in the following pages.