As cities and states look for ways to provide more affordable housing, a non-profit in Charlottesville warns that energy costs must also be considered. The Community Climate Collaborative took a close look at what people pay for power.
At first glance, utility bills in Charlottesville seem reasonable. Caetano de Campos Lopes says – on average – city residents spend less than 3% of their income to run appliances and to warm and cool their homes.
“Two point three percent of household incomes in general is allocated for home energy costs, but our report found that over 4,000 households in the city – almost one in every four households – face an energy burden of 10% or more.”
That’s because their income was low – a situation also seen in the nation’s capital. There, the city provided support for low-income residents to join community solar projects.
“Here in Virginia community solar is known as shared solar and has been approved recently by the general assembly,” de Campos Lopes explains.
The Community Climate Collaborative says that approach could address three important goals at once -- promoting renewable energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and cutting the cost of living for low-income residents. The group will share its findings with Virginia’s policymakers – urging them to consider energy costs as they plan for the future.
For more information go to https://theclimatecollaborative.org/uncovering-energy-inequity
