Utility disconnection protections and the incidence of energy insecurity in the United States
Summary: Energy insecurity—the inability to secure one’s energy needs—impacts millions of Americans each year. A particularly severe instance of energy insecurity is when a utility disconnects a household from service, affecting its ability to refrigerate perishable food, purchase medicine, or maint...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-03-01
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| Series: | iScience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004223003218 |
| _version_ | 1811154343095697408 |
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| author | Trevor Memmott Sanya Carley Michelle Graff David M. Konisky |
| author_facet | Trevor Memmott Sanya Carley Michelle Graff David M. Konisky |
| author_sort | Trevor Memmott |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Summary: Energy insecurity—the inability to secure one’s energy needs—impacts millions of Americans each year. A particularly severe instance of energy insecurity is when a utility disconnects a household from service, affecting its ability to refrigerate perishable food, purchase medicine, or maintain adequate temperatures. Governments can protect vulnerable populations from disconnections through policies, such as shutoff moratoria or seasonal protections that limit disconnections during extreme weather months. We take advantage of the temporary disconnection moratoria that states implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic to assess the efficacy of state protections on rates of disconnection, spending across other essential needs, and uptake of bill payment assistance. We find that protections reduce disconnections and the need for households to forgo other expenses. We further find that protections are most beneficial to people of color and households with young children. We conclude with a discussion of the policy implications for energy-insecure populations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:15:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a991314396fb40cabd4f39e152b0e427 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2589-0042 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:15:15Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | iScience |
| spelling | doaj.art-a991314396fb40cabd4f39e152b0e4272023-03-12T04:21:55ZengElsevieriScience2589-00422023-03-01263106244Utility disconnection protections and the incidence of energy insecurity in the United StatesTrevor Memmott0Sanya Carley1Michelle Graff2David M. Konisky3O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA; Corresponding authorO’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USAMaxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH, USAO’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USASummary: Energy insecurity—the inability to secure one’s energy needs—impacts millions of Americans each year. A particularly severe instance of energy insecurity is when a utility disconnects a household from service, affecting its ability to refrigerate perishable food, purchase medicine, or maintain adequate temperatures. Governments can protect vulnerable populations from disconnections through policies, such as shutoff moratoria or seasonal protections that limit disconnections during extreme weather months. We take advantage of the temporary disconnection moratoria that states implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic to assess the efficacy of state protections on rates of disconnection, spending across other essential needs, and uptake of bill payment assistance. We find that protections reduce disconnections and the need for households to forgo other expenses. We further find that protections are most beneficial to people of color and households with young children. We conclude with a discussion of the policy implications for energy-insecure populations.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004223003218Energy resourcesEnergy policyEnergy managementEnergy ModellingEnergy Systems |
| spellingShingle | Trevor Memmott Sanya Carley Michelle Graff David M. Konisky Utility disconnection protections and the incidence of energy insecurity in the United States iScience Energy resources Energy policy Energy management Energy Modelling Energy Systems |
| title | Utility disconnection protections and the incidence of energy insecurity in the United States |
| title_full | Utility disconnection protections and the incidence of energy insecurity in the United States |
| title_fullStr | Utility disconnection protections and the incidence of energy insecurity in the United States |
| title_full_unstemmed | Utility disconnection protections and the incidence of energy insecurity in the United States |
| title_short | Utility disconnection protections and the incidence of energy insecurity in the United States |
| title_sort | utility disconnection protections and the incidence of energy insecurity in the united states |
| topic | Energy resources Energy policy Energy management Energy Modelling Energy Systems |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004223003218 |
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