The resulting burden of energy costs also hits those communities harder: Black households spend 43% more of their income on energy costs, Hispanic households spend 20% more, and Native American households spend 45% more, according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.When you turn on the lights, the power comes from a large investor-owned utility like PG&E, a publicly owned utility, or a co-op.
Farnsworth and others at the Regulatory Assistance Project said that because the work done by utility commissions can be so technical, more steps should be taken to make the proceedings welcoming and open to the public. That could mean making the processes less formal, holding meetings outside of 9-5 work hours, or providing translators or free childcare so that a wider range of constituents can have a say in their energy regulation.
So instead of putting the burden on consumers, the co-op invests in its members: if a member-owner’s house is in good enough condition to withstand a ten to twelve year investment, the co-op will proceed with the improvements. Roanoke pays the upfront cost, and then subsequently recoups the money when the property uses less energy during high demand hours.
“Why would utilities want to curtail energy use and not just support us all being energy hogs?” asked Ross. She believes there is a sound financial answer: “From a bottom line, investing in efficiency makes sense: it helps manage demand, increases reliability, and makes bills affordable for low-income customers so they can actually meet their monthly payments.
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