2024 Community Voices in Energy Survey – Statewide Report

This comprehensive survey of over 6,500 Texas households with low to moderate incomes (LMI) illuminates some of the critical challenges LMI households face regarding energy affordability, reliability, and resilience.

The CVES underscores the critical need for equitable solutions to address the ongoing energy needs of Texans. The CVES Statewide report summarizes the key statewide findings to reveal the multifaceted nature of energy insecurity, energy affordability, and customer expectations on resilience. Our survey data highlights disparities in energy insecurity among different demographic groups and communities, emphasizing the importance of targeted interventions in different localities.

Core report findings include:

Understanding the Landscape of Energy Priorities

• • Affordability emerges as a primary concern, with approximately 40% of respondents finding their energy bills to be unaffordable.
  • Resiliency is another paramount concern, especially during adverse weather conditions, with nearly 30% of all respondents ranking resiliency as their most important electricity-related issue.
  • When asked, 71% of households wanted their energy to come from clean sources and 48% were willing to pay a monthly premium to do so.

Identifying Disparities and Barriers to Access

• • The survey findings highlight disparities in energy insecurity, particularly among renters and LMI households in manufactured homes
  • Housing tenure (renting vs. owning) plays a significant role in energy preferences, with renters expressing less interest in clean energy adoption
  • Awareness of energy assistance programs remains low among households that likely meet common income qualification thresholds

For questions regarding the 2023 Community Voices in Energy Survey, please contact Bobuchi Ken-Opurum, TEPRI’s Director of Research, at bobuchi@tepri.org.