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Nearly one-third of U.S. households consider cost before turning on a heating system during winter or powering up a cooling system during summer, potentially endangering their health.
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have not only the world's lowest costs for oil and gas production but also the lowest costs for electricity generated from renewable energy sources.
Industrial policy, supply chain security, and economic competitiveness are central to how we think about clean energy deployment. As the Trump administration pulls back federal support for the...
*Registration is closed for this event. The Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA's Women in Energy initiative, in collaboration with the Columbia Policy Institute, invites...
Event
• International Affairs Building,
Columbia SIPA
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Economic. A disproportionate share of household income is allocated to utility expenses (i.e., energy burden).
Physical. Housing deficiencies and inefficiencies impact thermal comfort, induce harmful environmental exposure, and/or increase energy costs.
Coping. Households use adaptive strategies to manage and cope with the physical and economic hardships associated with EI.
Prevalence
Among all US households in 2020, 33.53 million experienced some form of EI. More specifically[2]
24.61 million reduced or went without food or medicine to pay energy costs.
12.36 million received disconnection notices.
6.03 million were unable to use an air-conditioner.[3]
12.20 million left their homes at unhealthy temperatures to avert high energy bills.
5.08 million were unable to use heating equipment.[4]
Unequal Distribution
Although EI is widespread in the US, it is not equally distributed across all populations; disparities exist by race and ethnicity, income and wealth, and housing characteristics.[5]
Race and ethnicity. In 2020, Black and Indigenous populations were more than twice as likely as other groups to experience EI. Compared to 23 percent of white households, 52 percent of Black and American Indian or Alaska Native households experienced some form of EI (see Figure 1). Nearly half (47 percent) of Hispanic households experienced some form of EI compared to 25 percent of non-Hispanic households.[6]
Income and wealth. More than half (51 percent) of households making less than $20,000 a year reported experiencing energy insecurity in 2020. As Figure 1 shows, this percentage decreases steadily as income increases.[7] For example, households earning less than $20,000 a year were seven times more likely to experience EI than those making $100,000 a year or greater.[8]
Housing Characteristics. Renters were twice as likely as owners to experience EI—41 versus 20 percent. Furthermore, 47 percent of households living in poorly insulated homes, 51 percent of those using portable electric heaters as a main heating source, and about 40 percent of those using inefficient cooling (i.e., swamp coolers and window A/C units) experienced some form of EI.
Policy Recommendations
Addressing EI requires improving the physical condition of housing and reducing cost burdens. Specific measures to be taken include:
Prioritize groups most impacted by EI, including low-income households and Black, Indigenous, Latino, and other People of Color, for energy efficiency and housing decarbonization benefits.
Prioritize rental properties in housing improvement initiatives.
Improve insulation and upgrade heating and cooling units with high-efficiency, dual-function options
Link eligible households to bill assistance programs such as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) through more aggressive outreach and engagement efforts to increase awareness among populations heavily impacted by EI, and streamline the LIHEAP application process.
Increase household income via higher living wages and cross-enrollment in safety net programs such as rental assistance, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Medicaid.
Design tiered utility rate structures for low-income groups such as percent of income payment plans.
[2] US Energy Information Administration (EIA), “2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey,” accessed October 14, 2022, https://www.eia.gov/consumption/residential/data/2020/.
[3] Includes inability to use air-conditioning equipment at any time during the previous 12 months because equipment was broken and household could not have it repaired or because of an electricity disruption due to lack of payment.
[4] Includes inability to use main heating equipment at any time during the previous 12 months because equipment was broken and household could not have it repaired or because of an electricity, natural gas, or bulk fuel disruption due to lack of payment.
[5] EIA, “2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey.”
30 years ago last month, a brutal heatwave struck Chicago, killing more than 700 residents. As the city and much of the United States recently experienced another period of extreme heat, this anniversary serves as a reminder that heat remains one of the deadliest climate-related hazards — killing more people each year than hurricanes, floods and tornadoes combined — particularly for communities burdened by decades of disinvestment and structural barriers to health and safety.
This report explores how residents of North Lawndale, a predominantly Black and historically under-resourced neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side, experience the compounded effects of heat waves and power outages.
Reports
by Qëndresa Krasniqi, Helen Yibrah, Rachel Scheu + 2 more • July 10, 2025
Even as the U.S. pursues an energy agenda centered on achieving affordability through abundance, utilities and local governments have tools to help families navigate energy insecurities.
