By Jesse Bedayn | Associated Press/Report for America
DENVER — Bobbie Boyd is struggling with the scorching temperatures in northwest Arkansas. Her window air conditioner is constantly running, resulting in a $240 increase in her already limited fixed income of $882 per month. To make ends meet, the 57-year-old sacrifices other necessities.
Boyd only eats one meal a day so that her 15-year-old grandson, whom she is raising alone, can have two meals. She also cuts expenses on car insurance and medical appointments.
“The rent and the light bill. And I’m broke,” said Boyd, who relies on the air conditioning to prevent heat-induced asthma attacks.
As the effects of climate change lead to higher temperatures across the U.S., millions of low-income Americans face similar choices as Boyd: endure dangerous indoor heat or pay exorbitant energy bills. While President Joe Biden has allocated billions of dollars to federal programs that assist the poorest Americans with their energy costs, only a small percentage of the most vulnerable individuals receive support during the sweltering summer months.
According to the latest preliminary federal data, nearly 30 million American households struggle to pay their energy bills and qualify for subsidies, but less than 3% receive assistance for their summer bills.
In comparison, food stamps reach over 80% of the eligible population nationwide, while the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) falls far short, despite the increasing importance of air conditioning for survival as July becomes the hottest month on record.
This is mainly due to states running out of their federal funding each year, as stated by the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the LIHEAP program.
“We’re likely to see the energy insecure population grow unless we have some pretty significant and substantial government intervention,” said Michelle Graff, an expert on the federal subsidy at Cleveland State University.
Currently, many states do not offer assistance for summer months, and those that do often deplete their funds before the hottest days arrive. The program was originally established decades ago with a focus on winter heating bills and has been slow to adapt to the hotter summers caused by climate change.
Biden has emphasized the importance of LIHEAP for low-income families in helping them with their energy bills. He recently mentioned that during the scorching summer, “even when the heat is over, many of our families may see their largest-ever energy bill.”
However, in Arizona, the hottest state in the U.S. where approximately 650,000 low-income households are eligible for federal energy assistance, only about 11,600 households actually received support, according to federal data.
Samira Burns, an official from the Health and Human Services, stated that the Biden administration has doubled the LIHEAP budget through the American Rescue Plan and has provided updated guidance to states on targeting support during extreme heat.
“The Biden-Harris Administration has prioritized ensuring that eligible households seek and receive the utility assistance they need,” she said. “We know we must continue to do all that we can.”
Five years ago, the death of 72-year-old Stephanie Pullman in a sweltering Arizona home without electricity due to a $51 unpaid bill shed light on the dangers faced by energy insecure individuals in extreme heat.
Although Arizona power companies are now prohibited from disconnecting customers during the hottest months, nearly 3 million people had their power shut off last year for failing to pay their bills, with a third of disconnections occurring during the three hottest summer months.
“In the more extreme, but not at all rare circumstance, the risk is death,” said Sanya Carley, an energy policy expert at the University of Pennsylvania and co-director of the Energy Justice Lab.
In Houston, Texas, Candace Griffin faced disconnection notices this summer and sought nonprofit assistance to cover monthly bills over $400. With limited options, Griffin prioritized paying the energy bill to ensure she had essential utilities like lights and air conditioning, as well as enough money for food.
“I have to pay the energy bill, I have to have lights, I have to have AC,” the 51-year-old said. And, “I have to eat.”
The poorest Americans and minority communities already face the burden of living in hotter neighborhoods, with many lacking access to air conditioning entirely. While there are tax credits and rebates available to help install air conditioning, they remain out of reach for impoverished households.
However, even for those with air conditioning, individuals with the lowest incomes face higher energy costs compared to their wealthier counterparts. This is partly due to living in older, less insulated homes that require more energy for cooling and heating.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, energy insecure households pay 20 cents more per square foot for energy usage compared to the national average.
The federal Weatherization Assistance Program aims to improve insulation and reduce reliance on air conditioning and heating in low-income homes. However, despite almost 40 million eligible households, only around 35,000 households receive assistance each year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
“It’s because, just, lack of funds,” said Bruce Tonn, a researcher studying the program at a Tennessee nonprofit organization. Biden has recently invested billions into the program, as he highlighted during a speech.
The program is crucial in reducing energy bills, which often push approximately a quarter of low-income households into debt, according to Carley from the Energy Justice Lab. In the event of a disconnection, costs continue to accumulate, with the added expenses of spoiled food and hefty reconnection fees.
“It becomes very, very difficult for them to dig out and to be able to … pay their next energy bill,” said Carley, who noted that about half of households who have been disconnected have experienced disconnections before.
National nonprofits like The Salvation Army and Catholic Charities offer emergency financial aid, which thousands of individuals rely on, particularly since LIHEAP requires a multi-step application process every year.
Vivian Romero, a grandmother raising two teenagers outside Phoenix, has previously used LIHEAP funds to pay her electric bills until her family experienced a few months of homelessness. This year, Romero turned to Catholic Charities to help cover her $314 power bill for June.
However, nonprofits can often only provide relief once a year, as Romero mentioned. She plans to reapply for LIHEAP assistance, stating that “The Catholic Charities funding was a one-time thing.”
In Arkansas, Boyd received a disconnection notice after receiving an extension and not being able to pay her electricity bill. The last time her power was shut off, she and her grandson slept in their car. This time, The Salvation Army prevented Boyd from being disconnected.
Boyd does not receive LIHEAP; she wasn’t even aware that financial aid was available to her.
“The only thing between me and the sun is the roof,” she said.
Associated Press writer Anita Snow in Phoenix contributed. Bedayn is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.