The Census Household Pulse Survey regularly collects data on the state of American households during the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association has analyzed recent Pulse Survey data on how families are struggling to pay basic expenses, including energy bills, as they face inflationary pressures and the impacts of the pandemic economy.
During the second half of 2021 (July 21 – December 13), 28% of U.S. households reported that they found it somewhat to very difficult to pay usual household expenses in the last seven days. This number is even higher for low-income families – households making less than $35,000 – who reported difficulty at a rate of 52.5% during this period. Households of color were also burdened with basic expenses at a higher rate than the average U.S. household at 37.5%.
In addition to tracking general household expenses, the Census Bureau asked questions about the impact of energy bills on households during the second half of 2021. Over this timeframe, nearly 1 in 5 U.S. households (19.7%) reported that they were unable to pay an energy bill or unable to pay the full bill amount, at least one month in the last year. This metric was much higher for more vulnerable households, with 39% of low-income households and 30.3% of households of color reporting that they were unable to pay their energy bills.
Furthermore, 28.8% of U.S. households reported that they reduced or forewent expenses for basic household necessities, such as medicine or food, in order to pay an energy bill, at least one month in the last year. For low-income households, this number was 51.2%, while for households of color it was 40.9%.
Last, families faced unsafe temperatures as they had to decide between putting food on the table and keeping their energy bills affordable. Almost 1 in 5 U.S. households (18.6%) reported that they kept their home at a temperature that felt unsafe or unhealthy, at least one month in the last year. Again, this number was higher for historically marginalized households with almost 1 in 3 low-income households (32.1%) and 1 in 4 households of color (24.6%) reporting unsafe temperatures.
NEADA will continue to track the Pulse Survey data as it is released. With the expiration of the expanded Child Tax Credit and without the passage of Build Back Better, the measured levels of energy burdens highlighted in the Pulse Survey may increase.