Share this on social media
A perfect storm? COVID-19 cuts incomes and hikes home energy bills
(ACEEE blog, 15 May 2020) Before the COVID-19 crisis, one-third of American households faced difficulty affording their energy bills, some having to choose among key necessities such as food, medicine, and keeping the lights on. Now as they shelter in place and many lose their jobs and sources of income, we expect household energy costs to rise, adding another stressor to the current economic crisis.
Our pre-COVID research found that about 30 million U.S. households experience high energy burdens. A household’s energy burden is the percentage of income spent on energy bills, and academics consider spending more than 6% of income on energy a high or unaffordable burden. High energy burdens hit low-income households particularly hard, and these burdens are associated with increased stress, negative health impacts, and cycles of poverty. Those with disproportionally high burdens include African American and Hispanic households, renters, older Americans, and those residing in affordable multifamily buildings.
These highly burdened communities are also the most affected by COVID-19, which research has found disproportionally impacts communities of color, especially black communities. Researchers found that pre-existing conditions related to air pollution increase the risk of a COVID-19 death, and black communities are disproportionally impacted by polluting facilities. Therefore, some of those most impacted by COVID-19 may have already been struggling to pay energy bills, which may now become even more difficult to afford.
External link
ACEEE blog, 15 May 2020: A perfect storm? COVID-19 cuts incomes and hikes home energy bills
20 Mar 2023: From new jobs to cheap power, community renewables show a better future is possible
23 Feb 2023: Germany eyes state aid to boost domestic production of solar and wind technologies
22 Dec 2022: New report showcases the far-reaching benefits of energy efficiency
22 Sep 2022: Biomass sector is largest renewable energy employer in EU, study shows
9 Sep 2022: Clean energy jobs overtake fossil fuel sector but wages lag behind
28 Apr 2022: U.S. to boost green jobs, curb emissions by plugging old oil and gas wells
26 Apr 2022: The key to winning the climate debate isn’t economics: it’s health
8 Feb 2022: Energy poverty is linked to physical and mental health – our research proves it
22 Oct 2021: Renewable energy jobs grew globally in 2020 despite COVID-19 crisis
18 Oct 2021: How to tackle COVID-19 jobs crisis and climate change? Invest in clean energy
14 Sep 2021: Efficiency plans before congress would save money, create Jobs, protect the climate
9 Sep 2021: Solar energy can account for 40% of U.S. electricity by 2035 - DOE
27 Aug 2021: From no regrets to no choice
30 Jul 2021: Faster energy shift could triple South Korea's job creation this decade, outweighing coal job losses
19 Jul 2021: Biden clean energy plan key to restoring industry job losses, says U.S. official
19 Jul 2021: The rise of electric vehicles could deliver green jobs – but we need a plan
8 Jul 2021: Boost to clean energy investment could drive 10 million new green jobs
25 May 2021: North Sea green energy could overtake oil and gas by 2030, says study
30 Apr 2021: How the Philippines’ low-carbon plans may fuel a switch to green jobs
26 Apr 2021: Clean energy shift a chance to 'raise' people and the economy, Biden says
20 Apr 2021: Green stimulus plan could create 1.2m UK jobs in two years, research finds
15 Mar 2021: Green jobs in Cumbria could far surpass posts in coalmine, report says
8 Mar 2021: Eco-homes become hot property in UK’s zero-carbon ‘paradigm shift’
2 Feb 2021: Energy efficiency boosts jobs and cuts climate heat
25 Jan 2021: Helping poorest tackle climate crisis will boost global growth, says IMF head
11 Jan 2021: 2020 was a wild ride; opportunities await in 2021
14 Dec 2020: The Renovation wave should kick-start a just healthy building transition in Europe
3 Dec 2020: Oil and gas firms urged to work towards net zero British North Sea
24 Nov 2020: Not just emissions: why a green recovery from Covid-19 means more jobs
20 Nov 2020: 'First line of defense': Covid-19 prompts rethink in role of buildings
19 Nov 2020: Back to School: How to create COVID-safe and sustainable learning environments
16 Nov 2020: Green spaces keep hearts healthy and save lives
16 Nov 2020: Low-traffic schemes benefit everyone, not just better-off, finds study
6 Nov 2020: Untapping multiple benefits to speed up renovation wave
6 Nov 2020: Building logbooks, financing and comfort most relevant features for new building certificates: five-country survey
2 Nov 2020: Lack of climate action over 50 years will cost Australian economy $3.4tn and 880,000 jobs – report
15 Oct 2020: Queensland transition to renewables would generate almost 10,000 jobs, analysis shows
12 Oct 2020: Government unveils new plans claiming to make UK world leader in green energy
5 Oct 2020: 'Tech unicorn' Octopus Energy to create 1,000 new UK jobs
8 Sep 2020: African ministers call for investment in Great Green Wall to aid Covid-19 recovery
4 Sep 2020: Create jobs and protect the climate? Analysis shows these investments would deliver.
24 Jul 2020: Plan that tackles recession and climate change could create 76,000 Australian jobs, report says
17 Jul 2020: S.Korea to spend $95 bln on green projects to boost economy
17 Jul 2020: More nature, more jobs? Green investment seen as driver of coronavirus recovery
14 Jul 2020: Efficiency programs can expand by leveraging health-focused funding
16 Jun 2020: Property value, comfort and healthy indoor climate most important for residents – report
15 Jun 2020: Standing tall: How green buildings are adapting to the post-Covid era
11 Jun 2020: Local Government: Green recovery could create over one million jobs
11 Jun 2020: Homebuilder was a blunder - spend the money retrofitting social housing instead
7 May 2020: Healthy homes for all: the untapped power of energy efficiency programs
9 Apr 2020: Amsterdam to embrace 'doughnut' model to mend post-coronavirus economy
13 Sep 2019: Don’t idle away: How Volvo turns energy waste into value
12 Mar 2019: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs: New toolkit helps quantify efficiency’s benefits
1 Mar 2019: Florida could add 135,000 jobs by embracing five energy policies
8 Feb 2019: New report: Energy performance increasingly important for the value of buildings
4 Dec 2018: How health and well-being in green offices will benefit businesses
29 Nov 2018: EU’s 2050 climate plan sees ‘benefits of up to 2% of GDP’
27 Nov 2018: New study: “People-centric renovation” can increase productivity up to 12%
24 Mar 2023: States should cut low-income residents' utility bills using new home energy rebates
9 Mar 2023: Women more likely to fall into energy poverty, EU Parliament warns
17 Feb 2023: Soaring fuel bills may push 141m more into extreme poverty globally – study
17 Feb 2023: Global inequality must fall to maintain a safe climate and achieve a decent standard of living for all – it’s a huge challenge
28 Nov 2022: Czech organisations warn of homelessness surge amid energy crisis
14 Oct 2022: US: High winter energy costs are exacerbated by inefficient housing
3 Oct 2022: Vienna steps up targeted support to combat energy poverty
13 Sep 2022: Greeks face annual electricity bills worth two monthly minimum wages
1 Sep 2022: Energy crisis: UK households worst hit in western Europe, finds IMF
30 Aug 2022: ‘I’m scared when anyone says winter’: shocking tales from UK energy crisis frontline
26 Aug 2022: Heat or eat? Winter protests loom as energy poverty sweeps Europe
5 Jul 2022: Energy poverty increasingly affecting Germany’s middle class – analysis
1 Jul 2022: UK: Fuel-poor homes face taking £250 energy hit due to poor insulation
5 May 2022: Government to consider impact of UK energy efficiency plan on poor households
18 Feb 2022: British households face fuel poverty as energy prices skyrocket
14 Feb 2022: Florence asks residents to pay utility bills of struggling pensioners
21 Jan 2022: Parliament drafts energy poverty definition as part of EU social climate fund overhaul
22 Nov 2021: Energy crisis could worsen poverty for millions of Europeans
27 Oct 2021: Bleak houses: Families struggle to foot France's soaring energy bills
23 Sep 2021: As heating bills spike, how can Europe protect its poor?
16 Sep 2021: France to boost energy vouchers as consumer bills rise
13 Sep 2021: As heating bills go up, put your energy into keeping costs down
26 Jul 2021: Tackling energy poverty is a non-negotiable part of the green transition
5 Jul 2021: Cut poverty and energy use to cool the climate
18 Jun 2021: Poorer households in UK should get free heat pumps, say experts
7 Jun 2021: COVID-19 crisis makes electricity too costly for millions in Africa, Asia
7 May 2021: 'Cooling gap' widens, despite rising heat, as pandemic hikes poverty
6 May 2021: Climate finance hopes for poor nations shift to G7 summit as Merkel disappoints
18 Mar 2021: EU’s green building push risks driving homelessness, activists warn
8 Mar 2021: Why a more equal world would be easier to decarbonise
22 Feb 2021: Czech coal mining regions confronted with ‘hidden’ energy poverty
18 Jan 2021: The UK has some of the least energy-efficient housing in Europe – here’s how to fix this
10 Dec 2020: Poor nations call for more financial support to cope with climate impacts
8 Dec 2020: Carbon emission cuts in Europe were achieved by the poorest: report
26 Nov 2020: Beer maker backs India solar desalination plant to boost water, jobs for women
19 Nov 2020: Africa shrugs off net-zero emissions push without finance to follow
19 Nov 2020: Under-investment threatens to delay clean energy for poor 'by decades'
22 Oct 2020: Will the Renovation Wave benefit the energy poor?
15 Oct 2020: World Bank and IMF must spearhead a green and inclusive recovery
15 Oct 2020: Ballooning debt cripples poor countries’ hopes of green recovery from Covid
29 Sep 2020: Dirty secret: Half of world lacks clean cooking, at a huge cost
11 Sep 2020: Report: Low-Income Households, Communities of Color Face High “Energy Burden” Entering Recession
28 May 2020: Electric motorbike gives women in rural Zimbabwe a path out of poverty
28 May 2020: First poverty, now pandemic threatens access to electricity
23 Apr 2020: A green bailout must put Europe’s energy poor first
