What Is Energy Burden? The Metric Utilities Don't Advertise
Quick Answers
How do I calculate my own energy burden?
Divide your annual electricity and heating fuel costs by your gross annual household income, then multiply by 100.
What's a typical energy burden in the U.S.?
Low-income households average 8.6% nationally, versus about 2% for non-low-income households, according to DOE's LEAD Tool.
Does energy burden include gasoline for a car?
No. DOE's standard energy burden metric covers home energy (electricity and heating fuels) only; combined home-and-transportation burden is tracked separately by ACEEE.
The formula
Energy burden = (annual electricity cost + annual heating fuel cost) ÷ gross annual household income × 100. It's intentionally simple — the goal is comparability across very different households.
Why 6% is the line
The 6% threshold traces back to the assumption that an affordable housing budget spends no more than 30% of income on housing, and about 20% of that housing budget — 6% of total income — on energy specifically.
Where the U.S. actually stands
A quarter of all U.S. households, and two-thirds of low-income households, currently carry a high energy burden by this definition, and two in five low-income households carry a severe burden above 10%.
Want to see where you personally stand? Check your own CCM Energy Score, free and takes under a minute.