Addressing Energy Poverty and Climate Change Impacts: A Growing Concern in North Carolina

Stacey Freeman, a 44-year-old mom from Fayetteville, North Carolina, knows all too well the struggles of energy poverty. During the scorching heat dome that covered the Southeast in June, she relied on window units to cool her poorly insulated mobile home, leading to energy bills reaching hundreds of dollars a month. In the winter, she turned to space heaters, facing the same financial burden.

As a regional field organizer for PowerUp NC, Freeman helps others weatherize their homes to combat energy poverty in the Sandhills region. However, despite her efforts, she is unable to benefit from the services herself due to her income being too high.

Energy poverty affects a growing number of Americans, with households spending more than 6% of their income on energy bills considered energy-poor. This issue disproportionately impacts communities of color, exacerbating existing inequities.

Public health and environmental experts emphasize the need for policy efforts to assist vulnerable communities, especially during heat waves. Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S., with last year seeing a 44% increase in heat-related fatalities.

Despite the challenges, Freeman and her colleagues at PowerUp NC work tirelessly to direct vulnerable individuals to cooling centers on extremely hot days. For Freeman, staying cool this summer meant making sacrifices, such as sending her son to a free recreational center instead of enrolling him in a sports league.

The issue of energy poverty highlights the urgent need for support and resources to combat the health impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities.