Presentation is loading. Please wait.

Presentation is loading. Please wait.

Paid but Unaffordable: Home Energy Insecurity in Missouri Roger Colton Fisher, Sheehan & Colton Public Finance and General Economics Belmont, MA June 2004.

Similar presentations


Presentation on theme: "Paid but Unaffordable: Home Energy Insecurity in Missouri Roger Colton Fisher, Sheehan & Colton Public Finance and General Economics Belmont, MA June 2004."— Presentation transcript:

1 Paid but Unaffordable: Home Energy Insecurity in Missouri Roger Colton Fisher, Sheehan & Colton Public Finance and General Economics Belmont, MA June 2004

2 Home Energy Unaffordability n Home energy is a crippling financial burden for low- income Missouri households. Missouri households with incomes of below 50% of the Federal Poverty Level pay 38% or more of their annual income simply for their home energy bills. The number of households facing these energy burdens is staggering. More than 115,000 Missouri households live with incomes at or below 50% of the Federal Poverty Level. 150,000 additional Missouri households live with incomes between 50% and 100% of Poverty.

3 Home Energy Affordability Gap n Actual low-income energy bills exceeded affordable energy bills in Missouri by nearly $285 million at 2003 prices. n In contrast, Missouri received a gross allotment of federal energy assistance funds of $40.8 million for Fiscal Year 2003.

4 Home Energy Insecurity Scale: Pulling it all together n Payment troubles n Paid, but go without basic needs n Paid but significant energy deprivation

5 The nature of scales n Continuum with end points and interim markers n Indicators: “evidence” about households n Thresholds: classifications based on evidence n Everyone fits somewhere, but no-one fits more than one place

6 Energy insecurity thresholds n Thriving: Generally accepted standards of well-being. n Capable: Secure, even if not completely within standards of well-being. n Stable: No risk of immediate crisis. n Vulnerable: No immediate danger, but temporary or inappropriate avoidance means. n In-Crisis: Immediate needs that threaten household’s physical or emotional well-being.

7 Non-energy impacts of energy unaffordability: Education n 22% were found to be a frequent mover over a two year period. More than 70% of all frequent mover households (115 of 161) had children under age 18 n Third grade students who have changed schools frequently are two-and-a-half times as likely to repeat a grade as third graders who have never changed schools. n Frequently-mobile students are more likely to be below grade level in both reading and math.

8 Non-energy impacts of energy unaffordability: Hunger n 46% reported that they either “often” or “sometimes” went without food in order to pay their home energy bill. n Nearly half of those households reporting that they go without food “often” or “sometimes” in order to have money to pay their home energy bills live with incomes below 50% of the Federal Poverty Level. n More than three-quarters live with incomes below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level.

9 Non-energy impacts of energy unaffordability: Health care n 45% reported that they either “often” or “sometimes” did not take their medicine, or took their medicines in a dosage less than prescribed by their doctor, in order to pay their home energy bill. n Many low-income Missouri households skip seeing doctors and dentists altogether because of unaffordable home energy bills. Nearly 80% of those households reporting avoiding medical appointments “often” in order to save money to pay their home energy bills live with incomes below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level.

10 Non-energy impacts of energy unaffordability: Employment n Nearly one-in-six frequent mover households cited an energy-related reason as the primary reason for their most recent move. Most frequent mover households citing energy reasons indicated that the primary reason for their move was to find lower energy bills. n More than one-quarter of frequent mover households had income from wages. 80% lack paid leave time. n 32 hours devoted to process of relocation. Valued at average low-wage hourly wage ($8.63/hour).

11 Non-energy impacts of energy unaffordability: Housing n Energy insecurity affects the housing of low-income Missouri households by forcing those households to abandon their home for all or part of a day due to their inability to heat or cool it. n Energy insecurity results in lost usable space created in an effort to reduce the need for heating and cooling. A substantial proportion of low-income households overall, as well as in every demographic category, closed off one or more rooms of their homes because they could not afford to heat or cool that space.

12 Missouri Low-income Households: Home Energy Insecurity Scale Classifications n Thriving n Capable n Stable n Vulnerable n In-Crisis n 0.4% n 2.0% n 3.0% n 45.5% n 49.1%

13 For more information: http://www.fsconline.com (Library or News)

14 For more information: roger@fsconline.com


Download ppt "Paid but Unaffordable: Home Energy Insecurity in Missouri Roger Colton Fisher, Sheehan & Colton Public Finance and General Economics Belmont, MA June 2004."

Similar presentations


Ads by Google