For a new study, published in Nature Energy, researchers analyzed the results of a nationally representative survey of 2,381 adults below the federal poverty line. Conducted in April and May 2020, the survey allowed researchers to study energy insecurity during both “normal” circumstances and in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some of the findings showed that:

  • 25% of survey respondents were unable to pay an energy bill within the past year, and 10% had their power disconnected. Estimates suggest that these numbers jumped at the onset of the pandemic.
  • Black and Hispanic households were significantly more likely to have their utility service disconnected than the white respondents. These inequalities persisted even when income was accounted for, and estimates suggest that they were exacerbated during the pandemic.
  • Households with a member who experienced symptoms of or was diagnosed with COVID-19 had greater odds of being unable to pay their energy bill.

Read the full article about economic impacts of the pandemic on low-income Americans by Mary Keck at Futurity.