Energy, like food and housing, is an indispensable necessity of life. Air conditioning, lighting, and heating are essential to American daily life, and are critical for the survival of elderly and infirm citizens. High electricity and other energy prices are disproportionately impacting America’s senior citizens today. The United States has 27 million households aged 65 or more (“65+”), representing nearly one‐quarter of the nation’s 116 million households.
Future energy price increases, driven in large measure by petroleum supply and demand trends and by current and pending U.S. EPA regulations, are likely to outstrip real household incomes among the 63% of America’s 65+ households with gross annual incomes less than $50,000. EPA’s newest proposal to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants will further strain the budgets of low‐ and fixed‐income seniors who are among the most vulnerable to electric rate and other energy price increases.

Read our full energy study HERE.