LIHEAP and Public Health
Access to affordable home energy is a matter of health and safety: homes
that are too cold in winter or hot in summer put children at risk for
respiratory diseases like asthma and burn injuries or carbon monoxide
poisoning from the use of candles for light or stoves for heat, and can
land seniors in the hospital with heat exhaustion and the worsening of
diabetes and other chronic ailments. Financial stresses on households
facing high home energy bills mean that some will go without food or a
full dose of medically necessary prescription medicines.
The LIHEAP benefit can save lives, especially in summertime, and protects
against the health threats posed by high home energy bills. Each year,
NEADA's national telephone sample survey of LIHEAP households documents a
wide range of adverse outcomes tied to energy insecurity, as well as the
benefit of LIHEAP for low- and moderate-income households. In addition,
the following studies illustrate the importance of LIHEAP and access to
utility service for health and safety.
Affordable Home Energy and Health: Making the Connections.
Research Report No. 2010-05. Washington, DC: AARP, 2010. Lynne Snyder and Chris Baker.
LIHEAP Stabilizes Family Housing and Protects Children’s Health.
Children's HealthWatch Policy Action Brief, February 2011
The National Energy Assistance Survey
Periodically, NEADA conducts an survey of LIHEAP recipients to document the experiences of the families and how they are coping with high energy prices for the winter heating and summer cooling seasons and whether or not higher funding levels are helping to reduce arrearages and shut-offs for those families receiving assistance. The 2009 National Energy Assistance Survey (NEA) documented changes in the affordability of energy bills, the need for LIHEAP, and the choices that low-income households make when faced with unaffordable energy bills. Because of continuing high energy prices and rising unemployment during the survey period, we expected an even higher percentage of families to report that they were unable to pay their home energy bills or had to make even greater sacrifices than in previous years to maintain access to home energy.
In fact, LIHEAP recipients reported that the funding was more essential this year than in the past: 93 percent of recipients reported that LIHEAP funding was very important in helping them keep the heat on in the winter and cooling in the summer up from 90 percent in 2008 and 74 percent in 2003. The additional LIHEAP funding also increased the odds that a household could work out a payment plan with their local utility. The number of households that reported this increased from 54 percent in 2008 to 61 percent in 2009.
LIHEAP benefits increased since the previous year due to the greater appropriation in FY 2009. About 21 percent received total LIHEAP benefits of more than $750 in FY 2009, compared to 12 percent in FY 2008. The pre-LIHEAP energy burden averaged 16 percent and post-LIHEAP energy burden averaged 11 percent for these households, compared to 7 percent for all households in the U.S. and 4 percent for higher income households in the U.S.
LIHEAP recipient households are likely to be vulnerable to temperature extremes. They are likely to have seniors, disabled members, or children in the home. More than 90 percent of LIHEAP households had at least one of these vulnerable household members. The study also showed that these households face many challenges in addition to their energy bills, including unemployment, unhealthy home conditions, and medical issues.
LIHEAP recipients reported that they faced high energy costs. Over one third of the respondents reported energy costs over $2,000 in the past year and 35 percent said that their energy bills had increased over the previous year.
Households reported that they took several actions to make ends meet, including closing off part of the home and leaving the home for part of the day. Some of the actions taken by these households were unsafe and could lead to injury or illness, such as keeping the home at a temperature that was unsafe or unhealthy or using the kitchen stove or oven to provide heat.
Many of the LIHEAP recipients faced significant medical and health problems in the past five years, partly as a result of high energy costs. Nearly one third reported that they went without food, over 40 percent sacrificed medical care, and one quarter had someone in the home become sick because the home was too cold.
Households reported enormous challenges despite the fact that they received LIHEAP. However, they reported that LIHEAP was extremely important. About 64 percent reported that they would have kept their home at unsafe or unhealthy temperatures and/or had their electricity or home heating fuel discontinued if it had not been for LIHEAP. Almost 98 percent said that LIHEAP was very or somewhat important in helping them to meet their needs. In addition, 53 percent of those who did not have their electricity or home heating fuel discontinued said that they would have if it had not been for LIHEAP.
The following provides links to surveys conducted in the last several years:
- NEADA Releases 2009 National Energy Assistance Survey
April 19, 2010
-
2005 National Energy Assistance Survey
Press Release /
Key Findings /
Full Report
September 21, 2005
-
2004 National
Survey of LIHEAP Recipients
Press Release /
Abstract /
Executive Summary /
Full Report
April 26, 2004
Congressional Research Service LIHEAP Formula Reports
Publications
The following publications have been
released by NEADA:
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