Latest news with #CenterforEnergyPovertyandClimate
Business Mayor
26-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Cruel Summer: AC costs expected to skyrocket to 12-year high across the US
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US The cost of using air conditioning across the nation is expected to hit its highest level in 12 years this summer. It may even reach a record high, according to energy industry experts. Skyrocketing prices come amid increasing demand due to higher temperatures and more oppressive humidity spurred by human-caused climate change. That demand is only projected to surge as Earth's atmosphere continues to heat up, thanks to the continued production of fossil fuels and other sources of polluting greenhouse gas emissions. 'We have found that consumers are going to be hit with the highest level in 12 years, possibly a record high for home cooling this summer, as the average cost of electricity is projected to reach $784, a 6.2 percent increase from $737 last year,' National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) and the Center for Energy Poverty and Climate (CEPC) said in a joint statement. 'After adjusting for inflation, the average family will see an increase of 4.2 percent.' The number of cooling degree days, when air conditioners might be necessary, has increased in hundreds of locations over the past 50 years, and heat and energy stress has resulted in days-long power outages with deadly consequences. The highest average costs are anticipated in the Northeast, South Central, and South Atlantic regions of the U.S. It is forecast to be a particularly hot summer for the majority of the country, including much of the West, Florida, and the Northeast. It's going to be another sweltering summer across much of the U.S. Now, energy experts are predicting cooling costs will reach the highest level in 12 years — and possibly a new record (Getty Images) The groups cited two reasons for rising prices. First, that the cost of electricity is rising faster than average inflation. Second, that summer temperatures are continuing to result in severe and prolonged heat waves. It's a burden, they warned, that falls disproportionately on low-income families. Nearly 20 percent of low-income families have no air conditioning. 'The average energy burden for low-income households is about 8.6 percent of income, almost three times the rate for non-low-income households (3.0 percent),' the organizations said, noting that a recent survey had found the percentage of household that could not pay their energy bill for at least one month in the last year has increased, up from 21.4 percent to 25.3 percent. While the official poverty rate fell in 2023, the Census Bureau says there were still 36.8 million people living in poverty that year. The burden, the report said, falls to them because of a lack of access to affordable summer cooling systems, high electric bills, and cutbacks in the federal funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The program was reportedly included in recent Trump administration cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services. For low-income families, the upcoming months look particularly 'dire' without access to home cooling. Nearly 20 percent of low-income families have no air conditioning (Getty Images) This summer, they said only 26 states and the nation's capital will offer cooling assistance. Furthermore, just 17 states and Washington, D.C., are slated to provide some level of protection against utility companies shutting offer electricity due to unpaid bills during sweltering summer months. This leaves low-income families in 33 states without protections to exposure to dangerous health conditions, including heat stroke and even death. More than 700 people die from extreme heat every year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's more than any other weather event. Notably, those who do have access to heating and cooling systems may also be behind on energy bills from the winter months, and the amount of money consumers owe their utilities has increased from $17.5 billion in January 2023 to $24 billion in March 2025. One out of six households in the U.S. are estimated to be behind on their energy bills, NEADA said. 'Put plainly, the situation for low-income households this summer looks dire. NEADA and CEPC are concerned that this summer could be deadly for many low-income households across the United States,' they concluded.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cruel Summer: AC costs expected to skyrocket to 12-year high across the US
The cost of using air conditioning across the nation is expected to hit its highest level in 12 years this summer. It may even reach a record high, according to energy industry experts. Skyrocketing prices come amid increasing demand due to higher temperatures and more oppressive humidity spurred by human-caused climate change. That demand is only projected to surge as Earth's atmosphere continues to heat up, thanks to the continued production of fossil fuels and other sources of polluting greenhouse gas emissions. 'We have found that consumers are going to be hit with the highest level in 12 years, possibly a record high for home cooling this summer, as the average cost of electricity is projected to reach $784, a 6.2 percent increase from $737 last year,' National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) and the Center for Energy Poverty and Climate (CEPC) said in a joint statement. 'After adjusting for inflation, the average family will see an increase of 4.2 percent.' The number of cooling degree days, when air conditioners might be necessary, has increased in hundreds of locations over the past 50 years, and heat and energy stress has resulted in days-long power outages with deadly consequences. The highest average costs are anticipated in the Northeast, South Central, and South Atlantic regions of the U.S. It is forecast to be a particularly hot summer for the majority of the country, including much of the West, Florida, and the Northeast. The groups cited two reasons for rising prices. First, that the cost of electricity is rising faster than average inflation. Second, that summer temperatures are continuing to result in severe and prolonged heat waves. It's a burden, they warned, that falls disproportionately on low-income families. Nearly 20 percent of low-income families have no air conditioning. 'The average energy burden for low-income households is about 8.6 percent of income, almost three times the rate for non-low-income households (3.0 percent),' the organizations said, noting that a recent survey had found the percentage of household that could not pay their energy bill for at least one month in the last year has increased, up from 21.4 percent to 25.3 percent. While the official poverty rate fell in 2023, the Census Bureau says there were still 36.8 million people living in poverty that year. The burden, the report said, falls to them because of a lack of access to affordable summer cooling systems, high electric bills, and cutbacks in the federal funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The program was reportedly included in recent Trump administration cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services. This summer, they said only 26 states and the nation's capital will offer cooling assistance. Furthermore, just 17 states and Washington, D.C., are slated to provide some level of protection against utility companies shutting offer electricity due to unpaid bills during sweltering summer months. This leaves low-income families in 33 states without protections to exposure to dangerous health conditions, including heat stroke and even death. More than 700 people die from extreme heat every year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's more than any other weather event. Notably, those who do have access to heating and cooling systems may also be behind on energy bills from the winter months, and the amount of money consumers owe their utilities has increased from $17.5 billion in January 2023 to $24 billion in March 2025. One out of six households in the U.S. are estimated to be behind on their energy bills, NEADA said. 'Put plainly, the situation for low-income households this summer looks dire. NEADA and CEPC are concerned that this summer could be deadly for many low-income households across the United States,' they concluded.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cooling your home could hit a record high this summer
Keeping cool could cost a lot more this summer — yet another financial squeeze for many inflation-weary consumers. Americans can expect to shell out a record $784, on average, to cool their homes from June through September, according to a new analysis by the National Energy Assistance Directors Association and the Center for Energy Poverty and Climate. That's up 4.2% from the same period last year and 14% higher than 2020, when folks only paid an estimated $688, after accounting for inflation. The tab is projected to rise both because electricity prices are increasing faster than inflation and another hot summer is in the forecast, said Mark Wolfe, executive director of the association, which examined summer cooling costs since 2014. Residents of New England and the Midwest will be hit especially hard, with costs projected to increase between 13% and 18% from last year. Only those living in the Pacific, who were expected to shoulder a spike in cooling bills last summer, could catch a break — with costs forecast to decline nearly 7%. Although inflation has become more muted in recent years, prices remain high and household debt is on the rise. What's more, escalating costs for both winter heating and summer cooling are putting pressure on Americans' wallets year-round. Heating bills this past winter, which was a cold one, were expected to jump nearly 9%, according to the association. 'People don't get a chance to catch up,' Wolfe said. More than 21 million Americans — about one in six — are behind on their energy bills, the association estimates. Consumers owed their utility companies a total of $24 billion in March, up from $17.5 billion in January 2023. For some people, particularly those with lower incomes, rising costs can have severe consequences — especially if they are more reluctant to turn on the air conditioning. Heat-related deaths are on the rise, with just over 2,300 people succumbing in 2023, the hottest summer on record, compared to fewer than 1,200 in 2020, according to a study published in the medical journal JAMA. 'Without access to affordable cooling, many will be at risk of heat stroke and other health impacts associated with rising temperatures,' Wolfe said. At the same time, the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps about 6 million Americans afford their utility bills, does not have enough funding to aid all those who qualify. LIHEAP is doling out $4.1 billion this fiscal year, down from $6.1 billion two years ago, when Congress provided additional support in the wake of soaring energy prices during the Covid-19 pandemic. Only 26 states offer summer cooling assistance through LIHEAP, Wolfe said. In his budget blueprint, released earlier this month, President Donald Trump proposed eliminating the program. The White House said it isn't necessary in part because states have policies preventing utility disconnections for low-income residents, which it argues means LIHEAP mainly benefits utilities. Only 19 states and the District of Columbia offer summer shutoff protections, covering about half the US population, Wolfe said. And in many of them, the rules are outdated and inadequate.
