The utility burdens facing low-income households are part of a larger housing affordability crisis in the United States. Millions of Americans struggle to pay energy utility bills, and use a range of coping strategies such as engaging in risky temperature behavior (e.g. using a stove, dryer vent, or burning trash for heat), forgoing other expenditures (e.g. medical, food, etc.), seeking payment assistance from formal or informal networks, or using bill strategies (carrying debt, partial payments, or skipped payments) to avoid utility disconnection.49
Some climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, such as transitioning the energy sector to clean and renewable energy sources, can increase utility cost burdens on frontline communities. In addition, home energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades could help reduce utility costs for households, but frontline community members can face barriers around cost, access to resources, and a lack of accessible information around energy options in their community and on the benefits of transitioning to more renewable energy sources.50
Most King County communities are served by Seattle City Light (SCL) or Puget Sound Energy (PSE). These companies have low-income energy assistance programs, but many low-income households are not actually receiving that assistance. A 2024 survey of County renters conducted by King County in partnership with the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) showed that more than two thirds of renters who made less than $50,000 in 2023 reported struggling to pay utility bills over the previous twelve months,51 suggesting there are opportunities to expand and increase enrollment in utility assistance programs.
As additional climate impacts are experienced, the cost burden of other basic needs will increase, so it is even more critical that this energy assistance reaches all communities that need it. An equitable transition to more renewable energy requires that these frontline households thrive and not just survive.
What's at stake
The major climate-related hazards that threaten utility and housing costs are heat, wildfires, flooding, and sea-level rise. Heat events will cause increased energy demand in summer, leading to spikes in energy prices, and reduced snowpack that can decrease hydropower generation. The more frequent and extreme weather events that come with climate change, like wildfires and drought, could also mean increased costs for electricity users. These climate events can also cause damage to energy distribution infrastructure and homes, causing electrical power outages during extreme weather events that can be life threatening for frontline populations.52
Many of King County’s frontline communities are supportive of and interested in transitioning to clean and renewable energy sources but face barriers in making these changes in their own homes or communities. The County must find ways to support expanding renewable energy and energy efficiency in frontline communities to ensure that these communities are not further cost burdened or face higher climate vulnerability.
A better outcome
King County can advance energy justice and utilities affordability through supporting coordination and expansion of regional programs that incentivize weatherization, deploy equitable clean energy retrofits, and through expanding access to affordability programs. Integrating frontline community expertise in energy policy and decision-making will also be critical to ensuring there is not a disproportionate burden on frontline communities as energy companies transition to producing more renewable energy.
What we've done to get here
- Launched and expanded the Energize Heat Pump Program to install heat pumps and other clean technology in low- and moderate-income homes and small businesses in King County.
- Received approximately $50 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant to reduce building emissions in King, Pierce, Kitsap, and Snohomish counties—funding will support improvements in multifamily, small commercial, and community buildings across the region.
- Conducted a 2024 Utility Renter Affordability Survey to better understand and address utility and housing affordability challenges for families who rent their home.
51 ACEEE, “Renters Struggling with Energy Insecurity Often Face Wider Hardships,” King County, 2025.