Sociodemographic disparities in energy insecurity among low-income households before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

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Creative Commons Licence

Contributors

Contributed date

September 21, 2021 - 11:25am

Critical Commentary

This article discusses energy insecurity experiences in the United States, particularly those experiences felt by households before and since the onset of the pandemic. Most significant conceptualization in this article is the recognition that energy insecure households may engage in risky behaviors to keep warm or cool, including foregoing basic needs. Unsurprisingly, the article sheds light on the increased burdens the pandemic has placed on Black and Hispanic communities, even more burdens than they had already experienced prior to the pandemic. The investigation used a recall method to collect data on whether households missed payments, whether they received a disconnection notice or whether they could not pay their bill. This article is particularly significant because it pairs historic data on energy insecurity in the country and juxtaposes it with data on energy insecurity as further exacerbated by the pandemic. Essentially, this article further validates households' economic and health hardships and calls for more attention to the issue that is affecting millions of households in the United States. If further confirms the fact that racial, gender, and class inequalities can be shaped and further shape energy insecurity.

Source

Memmott, T., Carly, S., Graff, M.,  and Konisky, D. M. (2021). “Sociodemographic disparities in energy insecurity among low-income households before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Nature Energy, 6, 186-193. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-020-00763-9 

Cite as

Trevor Memmott, Sanya Carley, Michelle Graff and David M. Konisky, "Sociodemographic disparities in energy insecurity among low-income households before and during the COVID-19 pandemic", contributed by Briana Leone, The Energy Rights Project, Platform for Experimental Collaborative Ethnography, last modified 21 September 2021, accessed 29 March 2024. https://energyrights.info/content/sociodemographic-disparities-energy-insecurity-among-low-income-households-and-during-covid