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| Fig. 1: Percentage of homes with central air conditioning by year and region in the U.S. [7] |
Growing demand for energy and associated increases in cost leave millions of Americans struggling to pay their utility bills. Household energy is required for "cooking, lighting, heating, cooling, cleaning, and technological, medical, and other-life sustaining devices." [1] Access to household energy is critical for individual and population well-being; yet, 17 million households do not have an adequate amount of energy in United States. [2] This is known as energy insecurity. Energy insecurity is defined as the inability to meet basic household energy needs. [3] It is a relatively novel concept with dire and far-reaching consequences that are too often undermined. Energy access, socioeconomic disadvantage, and health are interconnected. [3,4] Furthermore, during a time of rapid change in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, this nexus is more evident than ever and merits a deep examination.
Socioeconomic inequality translates directly to energy inequality. Low-income families are disproportionately affected by energy poverty. 44% of low-income households experience energy insecurity compared to 2% that are not low-income. A family experiencing energy insecurity is characterized by spending more than 10% of their income on energy bills; the affected households spend 10 to 20% of their income on energy expenses. [1] Energy insecure households are more likely to have children under 18 living in residence and be Hispanic or black. [3] Black families in particular are disproportionately experience energy insecurity. [5] Furthermore, susceptibility to energy insecurity also stems from the physical conditions of residential buildings. Energy insecurity is largely tied to poor housing conditions, which is more prevalent among minority racial groups that have been long-term residents and thus live in older buildings. Fig. 1 shows that most newer homes have central air conditioning whereas older homes do not. In gentrified neighborhoods, "pre-gentrification" households are significantly more likely to have worse living conditions and thus experience energy insecurity - a byproduct of housing discrimination. [3]
Energy insecurity has adverse consequences on both physical and mental health. In 2015, 17 million households received a disconnection notice - 2 million of which received one every month. [5] In face of the financial strain energy insecurity presents, individuals often resort to physically harmful measures to cope with inadequate energy. Millions of Americans are faced with the "heat or eat" dilemma, in which they must decide between paying utility bills and paying for food. [1] Often times, families even choose to forgo necessary medications to pay their bills. Residents who cannot pay their energy bills live in extreme temperatures and cope during winter months by using a cooking stove to heat their homes. This releases toxic gases and is also one of the most common causes of household fires. Alternatively, generators may be used, which continuously release carbon monoxide and are a common cause of cognitive decline and CO poisoning. Individuals who cannot heat their homes in the winter can experience hypertension, a weakened immune system, and increased rates of pneumonia. Furthermore, when households do not have access to adequate energy or experience utility disconnection, they may not be able to power essential medical devices--directly threatening one's well-being. The stress that stems from energy insecurity also increases rates of depression and anxiety. [1-3]
The spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in 2020 has caused a surge in energy insecurity across the country. In April 2020, 20 million jobs were lost in the U.S., and as people spent more time at home to minimize the spread, energy usage and costs consequently increased. [6] Rising employment rates paired with larger utility bills have presented people with financial burden of unprecedented severity. During this global pandemic, energy access has proved more crucial to human well-being than ever before, as recovery from the virus requires access to telehealth services, safe temperatures, and powered medical devices. Furthermore, with academic programs being online, households with children and college students will need to power electronic devices to complete courses. Similarly, employed adults will need electricity to work remotely and unemployed adults to search and apply for jobs. The lifestyle changes resulting from Covid-19 require greater energy access and usage, thus placing low-income families at greater risk of unsafe living conditions. [5]
Two programs aimed at protecting energy insecure populations are the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). LIHEAP is a program that helps low-income households pay their utility bills and WAP helps reduce energy bills by making homes more energy efficient. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act--a $2.2 trillion emergency aid package--provides $900 million in funding for LIHEAP. However, LIHEAP is an underfunded program and only assists 22% of eligible households, thereby requiring more funding. In addition, 22 states have ordered disconnection bans, meaning utilities can no longer disconnect customers if they cannot pay their bills. However, the policies vary among states and may only protect energy insecure populations temporarily. For many, late fees and accrued charges will still apply, and households that have been previously disconnected may not be reconnected. In fact, only the state of Wisconsin requires previously disconnected households to be reconnected. [5] While efforts are being made to assist Americans during Covid-19 pandemic, they fall short and fail to protect all vulnerable populations.
Energy is integral to essential tasks, and the inability to pay utility bills forces millions of Americans to make decisions that could cost them their lives. Existing programs that serve to protect low-income households from associated risks remain underfunded and must receive more funding to adequately reach the affected populations. Though energy is not recognized as a human right, further action is required to protect Americans from the dire health hazards and uncollectible debt associated with energy inequality, especially during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak.
© Rochelle Radzyminski. The author warrants that the work is the author's own and that Stanford University provided no input other than typesetting and referencing guidelines. The author grants permission to copy, distribute and display this work in unaltered form, with attribution to the author, for noncommercial purposes only. All other rights, including commercial rights, are reserved to the author.
[1] S. Jessel, S. Sawyer, and D. Hernández, "Energy, Poverty, and Health in Climate Change: A Comprehensive Review of an Emerging Literature," Front. Public Health 7, 357 (2019).
[2] D. Hernández, "Understanding 'Energy Insecurity' and Why It Matters to Health," Soc. Sci. Med. 167, 1 (2016).
[3] D. Hernández and E. Siegel, "Energy Insecurity and Its Ill Health Effects: A Community Perspective on the Energy-Health Nexus in New York City," Energy Res. Soc. Sci. 47, 78 (2019).
[4] A. Mayer and E. K. Smith, "Exploring the Link Between Energy Security and Subjective Well-Being: A Study of 22 Nations," Energy Sustain. Soc. 9, 34 (2019).
[5] M. Graff and S. Carley, "COVID-19 Assistance Needs to Target Energy Insecurity," Nat. Energy 5, 352 (2020).
[6] P. Mastropietro, P. Rodilla, and C. Batlle, "Emergency Measures to Protect Energy Consumers During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Global Review and Critical Analysis," Energy Res. Soc. Sci. 68, 101678 (2020).
[7] "What's New in How We Use Energy at Home: Results from EIA's 2015 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS)," U.S. Energy Information Administration, May 2018.