New York’s Household Energy Burden Imperative: Challenges and Solutions

More than 2 million New York households struggle with excessive energy costs, spending more than 6 percent of their income on electricity and gas.

In 2022 alone, these excess energy burdens totaled $2.28 billion, disproportionately affecting low-income households earning less than $45,000 per year. Despite the size of energy burdens in New York, addressing excess household energy burdens in the state is achievable, as policymakers and regulators can make use of a wide range of program and policy levers to help bring down household costs.

In this report, Acadia Center partnered with WE ACT 4 Change to examine the scale of the issue, explores policy and program solutions, including energy affordability programs, community solar, weatherization and electrification retrofits, bill assistance programs, and advanced rate design reforms. As lawmakers and regulators consider new strategies to tackle this crisis, policies like the NY HEAT Act present an opportunity to strengthen energy affordability commitments.