The Impact of Energy Poverty and Energy Assistance Programs on Low-Income Families and Individuals

Due to the rising cost of energy, those living in low-income households are spending greater proportion of their incomes on utilities rather than in other essential necessities such as food and shelter. A household or an individual is considered to be energy poor when more that 6-10% of their annual income is spent on utility costs. The following report addresses some of the issues associated with energy poverty in more depth and outlines a number of initiatives already in place to help low-income households.

Publication Date: 
2011