Survey: Millions of Americans Struggling to Keep Up With Rising Energy Costs
Analysis of November U.S. Census Bureau data shows more than a quarter of Americans reduced or skipped basic expenses such as food or medicine to pay an energy bill in the past year. Our report highlights the residents of states who are struggling the most.
- Nearly 27% of Americans reduced or forwent basic expenses such as food and medicine so they could pay their energy bill in the last 12 months.
- 17% of adults report having kept their home at a temperature that felt unsafe or unhealthy in the past year due to rising energy costs.
- Roughly one in six people have been unable to pay the full amount of their energy bill at least once in the past year.
- In some states, the percentages of residents sacrificing basic expenses to pay energy bills is significantly higher than the national averages.
A sizable portion of Americans are having difficulty affording their home energy costs and are making sacrifices just to stay warm.
While the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts slightly lower energy costs for this winter season compared to last, millions of U.S. households may not feel the full benefit of lower costs.
In analyzing the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey, we uncovered the number of Americans in each state who have struggled over the past 12 months to pay their energy bill along with those who have made various sacrifices in order to do so.
More than one in four Americans reduced or went without basic expenses such as food or medicine in the last year in order to pay an energy bill.
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In all, 16 states experienced rates that were equal to or higher than the national average. In Mississippi, 37.8% of residents have reduced or gone without basic expenses to pay an energy bill at least once in the past 12 months.
Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Florida each saw more than 30% of residents report this level of foregoing basic needs. In 32 states, at least a quarter of residents reported the same.
More than one in 12 respondents (8.6%) across the country reported making such a sacrifice almost every month.
Only in Vermont and Washington, D.C., did fewer than 20% of residents report reducing or skipping basic expenses in order to pay an energy bill over the past year.
The chart below illustrates how many respondents from the 14 largest cities in the U.S. reduced or went without basic expenses to pay energy costs in the last 12 months.
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More than 1 out of 3 residents of Houston have foregone necessary expenses in order to pay an energy bill, which is 8 percentage points higher than the national average and nearly 5 percentage points higher than the next-highest city included in the study.
Almost one out of six U.S. adults have been unable to pay the full amount of an energy bill at least once in the last 12 months.
More than one in five adults in nine states reported not being able to pay the full amount of an energy bill.
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At 12%, Kentucky reported the lowest share of residents unable to pay the full amount of an energy bill in the last year.
The rates of respondents in each of the most-populous U.S. cities who weren't able to pay their energy bill at some point in the past 12 months are listed in the table below.
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Houston, Riverside, Los Angeles and New York City each have rates higher than their respective statewide averages. Each of the 10 remaining cities included in the study had rates lower than their respective state average.
17.1% of Americans have kept their home at a temperature that felt unsafe or unhealthy for at least some period during the past 12 months.
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Respondents in 18 states reported making such a sacrifice at a rate higher than the national average, led by New Mexico (21.2%), Louisiana (20.6%), Texas (20.6%), Mississippi (20.5%) and Oklahoma (19.9%).
Hawaii (11.4%) had the lowest share of residents keeping their home at unsafe or unhealthy temperatures.
In the table below, the rates of adults who kept their household at an unsafe or unhealthy temperature due to energy costs are included for the top 14 metros in the U.S.
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More than 1 out of 4 people in Houston have kept their house at an unsafe temperature because of cost concerns. One study found Houston to be among the five hottest cities in the country.
The share of Houston residents who have kept their home at an unsafe temperature due to costs is more than 10 percentage points higher than Dallas and six percentage points above the statewide average.
Here are some resources that may be helpful to anyone struggling to pay their energy bills. Many energy companies offer their own assistance programs to customers, so be sure to contact your provider for information about any programs they may offer.
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
This program provides federally-funded assistance to help families manage costs associated with home energy bills, energy crises, weatherization and energy-related home repairs. - Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
TANF is a federally-funded, state-operated program that helps families achieve independence after experiencing difficulties and can assist with home energy costs among other expenses. - 211
211 is a comprehensive source of information about local resources and can connect people to various programs and services within their community that offer assistance paying for home utility bills among other things. - Dollar Energy Fund
The Dollar Energy Fund is a non-profit organization that works to alleviate financial hardships by providing utility assistance and other services. - Consumers Affordable Resource for Energy (CARE)
CARE is a 24-month affordable payment plan helping people stay on top of their home energy bills. - Emergency Rental Assistance programs from U.S. Department of the Treasury
Use this directory to find federally funded rental assistance programs in your state, territory or tribe and Tribally Designated Housing Entity. - Local Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Counselors
You can find HUD counselors in your community who can help you navigate any benefits you may be eligible for, and they can help pair you with local resources to help with your housing needs. - U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Help for Renters
You may qualify for help paying rent or protection from eviction. Some additional protections may still be available due to the COVID-19 pandemic. - Medicare Extra Help
Find out if you qualify for Extra Help (also called the Medicare low income subsidy, or LID), which can help pay your prescription drug costs if you're eligible. - Medicare-Medicaid Special Needs Plans (SNPs)
If you're eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, you may be able to enroll in a special type of Medicare health plan called a Medicare Special Needs Plan (SNP). Medicare SNPs are a type of Medicare Advantage plan designed to pay your prescription drug costs and most – if not all – of your covered medical expenses. If you have Medicare and Medicaid, you may qualify for a Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP).
A high number of U.S. adults are having difficulty paying their energy bills and are either not paying the full amount of the bill, making financial sacrifices in other areas to pay their energy bill or keeping their home at unsafe or unhealthy temperatures in an effort to minimize their bill.
With energy costs rising this winter, millions of Americans are struggling to stay warm.
The data used for this report came from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, specifically Week 63 (November 8, 2023), the most recent data available.
The data includes the percentage of respondents who answered either “almost every month,” “some months” or “1-2 months” for various questions related to difficulties paying their energy bills during the past 12 months.
