Utility Access and Health - Center for Children's Advocacy

The Energy Crisis and Its Impact onLow-Income Individuals & FamiliesConsider a blackout on a steamy summer afternoon. Inan instant, the lights go out, the air conditioner shutsoff, and the milk in the refrigerator starts to spoil. It’san unpleasant surprise, but at least the utility companyis working to get the power on as soon as they can.Yet for a growing number of Americans, utility companiesare actually doing the opposite ― they’re turningthe power off. With energy prices rising amidst a deeprecession, millions of people are falling behind onenergy bills. When the lights go out for these families,it’s not because of a downed power line; it’s becausethey can’t afford to keep them on. 1Figure 1 2PRICE(Dollars per Thousand Cubic Feet)# of LettersU.S. Price of Natural Gas Delivered to Residential Consumer16141210864208001995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008YEARWhen a household loses utility service, the potentialhealth consequences are severe and wide ranging. Coldweather can be a trigger to asthma, and low temperaturescan cause intense pain crises for childrenProtection Letters Written in BMC Pediatric Clinicwithsickle cell disease. 3 When family members who are700676chronically ill or disabled rely on refrigerated medicine600or electronic medical equipment in their homes, the500481risks during power outages are especially grave.400352Even 300 for low-income households that manage to paytheir 200 utility193bills, high energy costs often force familiesto 100 dig into their food budget, exposing them to othernegative 0 health outcomes. 4 Households in poverty2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009YEARoften sacrifice rent payments, medical and dental care,and food in order to pay their energy bills, which canconsume 16 to 25 percent of their annual income. 5“When families are forced to make this ‘heat or eat’tradeoff, it’s a no win situation,” says Lauren Smith,Medical Director of the Massachusetts Department ofPublic Health. “You can’t give up a balanced diet orenergy access and expect to stay healthy, but for moreand more families, there’s just not enough money topay for both.”While federal and state governments provide smallgrants to individuals and families at or below povertyguidelines through the low-income home energyassistance program (LIHEAP), only about 7.5 millionhouseholds, or one quarter of eligible householdsnationwide, received grants in 2009. 6The threat of utility shut-off confronts virtually all ofthe 24 million low-income households in the U.S. Fortyseven states offer some form of utility shut-off protection7 , a guarantee of uninterrupted utility access forvulnerable individuals and families. Shut-off protectionrequires a doctor’s letter at specified intervalsand varies drastically by state based on time of year,cold weather and illness. Shut-off protection ensurescontinued access to heat and electricity, but does noterase utility debt or reduce cost to the consumer.Shut-off protection programs vary greatly from stateto state. Alabama and Arizona have temperature basedrequirements, while Massachusetts and Washingtonoffer utilities protection only during certain monthsof the year. 8 Fewer than a dozen states have shut-offprotections in place during the summertime. Almost allstates offer shut-off protection for those with chronicserious illness, which must be verified by a letter froma medical provider, but each state has its own policy onhow often letters must be recertified so that familiescontinue receiving shut-off protection.