Research & Grants

The Gap

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The percent of income a household spends on utilities is referred to as their “energy burden.” Low-income households typically spend 6–17% of their income on utilities, compared to about 2% in the average U.S. household. That large difference forces many low-income families to make hard choices between food or lights, heat or medicine. 1 in 5 low-income families even keep their homes at unsafe temperatures to manage energy costs. As you can imagine, this often causes high stress, and mental and physical health issues that further harm families. Unfortunately, climate change continues to worsen the energy burden, widening economic disparities as homes compensate for extreme temperatures by using more heating and cooling.

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What We Will Do

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Review energy burden data and interview people in low-income households to understand both the scale of the problem and how it shapes their daily life and wellbeing. The numbers tell us what’s happening. The stories tell us why it matters.

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Solution

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Provide energy efficiency kits and resource education to reduce energy use immediately. Educate the public on the energy burden issue using videos that tell the stories of affected persons. Lastly, make policy recommendations to local government aimed at lowering the energy burden below 6% over the long-term.