What Is Energy Burden?
Energy burden is the share of a household's income that goes toward energy bills. It is usually shown as a percentage.
For example, if a family earns $2,000 a month and pays $200 for electricity and gas, their energy burden is 10%.
An energy burden rate above 6% is considered high. So, 10% is considered severely high.
High energy burden makes it harder for families to afford food, medicine, gas and other essentials.
Energy Burden in South Carolina:
A Snapshot
Just over 5 years ago, an energy burden survey was conducted across South Carolina.
Here are some of the key findings:
57% of households reported an energy burden above 15%
More than double the limit for affordability
40% of households said their job had been affected because of energy issues
Energy issues include shutoffs, threats of shutoffs, tradeoffs on necessities in order to pay the energy bill within the past year
Survey takers who reported a disability were 8% more likely to report having energy issues compared to those not reporting a disability
A high percentage of this population forgoes other necessary things for their energy bills
Tracking Change Over Time
This effort does not stop with one survey. Energy costs, wages, and housing conditions all change over time. To understand whether things are getting better or worse, we need to keep checking in with South Carolina's families.
“This energy burden survey will be repeated in 2026 to track changes over time and inform policy solutions.”