Energy insecurity among LGBTQ households in the United States: A national evaluation

Energy insecurity, or a household's inability to meet its necessary energy demands, is a prevalent problem in the United States. A growing body of literature continues to examine the sociodemographic correlates of energy insecurity, including race, disability, and having children in the home. To date, however, little scholarship has examined energy insecurity among LGBTQ households. In this study, we use data from the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey (HPS) from 2021 to 2024 to provide the first quantitative national estimate of multiple dimensions of energy insecurity among LGBTQ households. Estimating insecurity through a series of linear probability models, we find LGBTQ households are significantly more likely to be unable to pay their energy bills, to maintain unsafe indoor temperatures, and to forgo basic household necessities, such as food and medicine, to pay energy bills, when compared to non-LGBTQ households. We further test how LGBTQ identity interacts with other vulnerable household characteristics, such as race and disability, finding LGBTQ households consistently experience worse outcomes, with especially high levels of energy insecurity when multiple disadvantages overlap. These findings highlight the importance for policymakers, scholars, and advocates to recognize and incorporate the unique vulnerabilities of LGBTQ populations in the design and implementation of energy-related assistance programs.