The Prevalence and Persistence of Energy Insecurity in NYC
Electricity, gas, and other energy sources are required for meeting everyday needs and basic functioning, but the costs of these essentials have put them out of reach for many New Yorkers. Our most recent Poverty Tracker report explores how energy insecurity contributes to compounding economic hardships for low-income New Yorkers and discusses how the city's high rates of energy insecurity are addressable through several policy solutions. Expanding access to programs that directly reduce utility costs and implementing broader policies to increase New Yorkers' incomes can both play important roles in mitigating this hardship.
Key Findings:
In an average year, 20% of New Yorkers fall behind on utility payments because they are unaffordable and 9% have their utilities shut off because there is not enough money to pay the bills.
Over a five-year period, 42% of New Yorkers fell behind on utility payments in at least one year and 23% faced a utility shutoff because of an affordability issue.
New Yorkers in poverty, female New Yorkers, Black and Latino New Yorkers, renters, and Bronx residents all faced elevated rates of energy insecurity in an average year and when looking at the persistence of energy insecurity across multiple years.
70% of New Yorkers who could not afford a utility payment at least once in a five-year period also faced multiple other forms of material hardship in the same period, including not being able to afford rent, food, or medical care. The same is true for 85% of New Yorkers who had their utilities shut off.
Featured in the Gothamist: Report: As heat wave hits NYC, most low-income New Yorkers struggle to keep the power on
Suggested Citation:
Wilkinson, Nicholas, Diana Hernandez, Daniel Salgado, Sophie Coller, and Christopher Wimer. 2024. The Prevalence and Persistence of Energy Insecurity in NYC. Poverty Tracker Report. New York City: Robin Hood.
The Poverty Tracker is a longitudinal study of the dynamics of poverty and disadvantage in New York City. It is a joint project of Robin Hood and Columbia University.
