Energy Insecurity and Material Hardship
Energy insecurity affects millions, but it's just one piece of a larger puzzle. Discover how this issue intertwines with food insecurity, housing instability, and healthcare access. Current policies have limitations and a comprehensive approach that could offer hope to those struggling with multiple material hardships. It's time for change.
The lights flicker, the heat sputters, the refrigerator falls silent. For millions of Americans, these are not mere inconveniences; they are the daily realities of energy insecurity. Yet, the inability to afford essential utilities is often just one piece of a larger, more complex puzzle.
Those facing energy insecurity are not just dealing with a single issue, but a web of interconnected hardships —from food insecurity to housing instability to lack of healthcare access. These material hardships are complex and intertwined and comprehensive policy approach, one that not only affects energy insecurity but also a host of other hardships, could offer a lifeline to those most in need.
Energy insecurity is a household’s inability to access affordable, reliable, and clean energy. More than 30 million Americans are considered to be energy insecure, meaning they cannot reliably or adequately meet household energy needs. Energy insecurity is linked to a number of other material hardships, such as healthcare needs, housing conditions, structural racism, and climate change.
A common denominator among these hardships is poverty, which disproportionately affects the poorest families compared to families above the poverty line. When these families are forced to prioritize their most basic necessities, electric and gas bills are cut out over more important needs such as food or housing. Numerous recent studies have linked energy insecurity with adverse health effects on mental health, respiratory health, thermal stress, sleep quality, and child health.
Moreover, climate change exacerbates energy insecurity due to higher temperatures and extreme weather events. In poverty-stricken households, which are more likely to live in places with higher surface temperatures and lack of shade, climate change increases the likelihood of energy insecurity.
Energy insecurity is a complex problem that requires a comprehensive solution. Current policy approaches include the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). LIHEAP provides heating and cooling services, including those needed in times of crisis. WAP assists low and moderate-income households in weatherizing their homes to increase energy efficiency. Both of these programs are funded by the federal government. The
Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA) implements both of these programs at the local level in the Philadelphia community. Although effective, these antiquated programs were put into place over forty years ago and are not a panacea. For instance, LIHEAP focuses on heating assistance, which leaves states in warmer climates with less funding despite their needs for cooling assistance. WAP grants for households in need, which average $5,000, are simply not enough to complete more expensive retrofits. There is evidence that WAP uptake is low among eligible households, displaying the need for more robust solutions.
As a policy recommendation, more funding needs to be allocated to LIHEAP and WAP to increase assistance across the country for both warm and cool climates, along with allowing for more thorough energy efficiency retrofits. An increase in funding for these programs will decrease energy insecurity over time by providing more assistance for struggling households.
Additionally, eligibility requirements for LIHEAP and WAP should be expanded, effectively covering more households impacted. Given the host of material hardships that are interconnected to energy insecurity, households that benefit from these programs will also benefit in a holistic manner, ranging from an improvement in mental health to more money that can be spent at the grocery store. An increase in funding and eligibility for LIHEAP and WAP has the potential to have far-reaching benefits for low-income households across the country.
Luke Johnson
Undergraduate Student, SASA senior at Penn, Luke Johnson is pursuing a major in Philosophy, Politics & Economics with a concentration in Choice & Behavior. He is complementing his studies with a minor in Environmental Management and Sustainability.
