Rising Prices and Energy Costs
Concerns Over Electricity Bills Lead to Seeking 'Free Air Conditioners'
On the 22nd of last month (local time), a man in New York, USA, is cooling off with water from a drinking fountain. / Photo by AFP Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Amid record-breaking heatwaves causing abnormal high temperatures worldwide, it has been pointed out that the damage caused by the heatwave sweeping across the United States is concentrated among relatively poor people.
NBC News recently reported that residents flocked to the Salvation Army hall in Macon, Georgia, to escape the deadly heat. The weekend's highest temperature in Macon exceeded 35 degrees Celsius, and it is expected to rise to 37.7 degrees next week.
Melissa White, manager of the Macon Salvation Army hall, explained, "With rising energy prices, even those with air conditioning dare not turn it on. Even people who have never asked the Salvation Army for help are flocking to this place equipped with cooling facilities."
Last week, heatwave warnings and advisories were issued mainly in the Midwest and South, putting one-third of the entire U.S. population under the influence of the heatwave.
Although the unusual heatwave affects many people, the damage caused by the heatwave appears to vary. NBC News pointed out that soaring prices and rising energy costs are causing a temperature gap based on wealth.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average price of residential electricity is expected to rise about 4% compared to a year ago. Mark Wolf, secretary-general of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA), said, "It is a very difficult situation for middle-class households. They are hit by higher gasoline prices, higher home energy costs, and higher winter heating bills. For low-income households, this is a catastrophic situation."
Even within the same city, low-income residents are experiencing more severe heatwaves. A University of California research team revealed last year that "in 76% of U.S. counties, low-income people are exposed to temperatures 4 to 7 degrees higher than high-income people."
By ethnicity, Latinx-dense areas were exposed to temperatures about 7 degrees higher compared to non-Latinx areas. Low-income people either do not have air conditioning or refrain from using it due to the burden of electricity bills.
NBC News reported that during deadly heatwaves, access to cooling becomes a matter of life and death.
Dr. David Eisenman, head of the Public Health and Disaster Center at the University of California, Los Angeles campus, pointed out, "The mortality rate due to heatwaves is nearly 18% higher in Black and Latinx-dense areas within Los Angeles compared to predominantly White areas."
NBC News forecasted that as the frequency and intensity of heatwaves increase due to climate change, these inequalities will further expand. Wolf, NEADA secretary-general, explained, "Cooling facilities are still considered luxury items, not from 30 to 40 years ago, but even now."
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