EIA report examines energy insecurity in United States

According to a new report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, roughly 27 percent of U.S. households, or 34 million, had difficulty paying energy bills or kept their home at an unsafe temperature because of energy cost concerns in 2020.

While a high number, it is lower than in 2015, when 37 million households, or 31 percent, reported similar issues in 2015, according to EIA’s Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS).

Among other findings, the percentage of households that reported receiving a disconnection notice decreased from 14 percent in 2015 to 10 percent in 2020. However, it should be noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, many states issued moratoria on utility shutoffs for several months in late 2020. Further, households receiving disconnection notices were more likely to experience that form of energy insecurity for only one or two months.

It also found that 5 million households in 2020 reported that they were unable to use their heating equipment, while 6 million reported that they were unable to use their air-conditioning because the equipment was broken, and they could not afford to have it fixed or because they could not afford fuel.

In addition, 1.4 million households (1 percent) reported that someone in the household needed medical attention because their home was kept at an unsafe temperature.

It also found that lower-income households, households with children, and renters reported more instances of energy insecurity. Further, households where survey respondents self-identified as either Black or African American alone or as Hispanic or Latino reported higher rates of energy insecurity.