Jul 15, 2022 05:34 PM
(This post was last modified: Jul 15, 2022 05:44 PM by C C.)
Worried about high energy bills, some Canadians risk discomfort, illness and even death
https://theconversation.com/worried-abou...ath-186371
INTRO: Almost one in 10 Canadian households spend more than 10 per cent of their income to heat and cool their homes, keep the lights on and to store or cook food. For these households, the high cost of energy, which includes electricity, natural gas, heating oil and propane, means they may ration their use, leading them to live in energy poverty.
Energy, in its many forms, has a vital role in people’s lives. It can provide entertainment, nourishment and the ability to work, but it also supplies critical services, such as heating or cooling.
Extreme weather events, like the 2021 heat dome in Western Canada, are expected to increase in frequency in the future and will amplify the need for these critical energy services. A household’s high energy burden could be a risk to the lives of everyone in that home.
Our research shows that some households in Canada spend up to 16 per cent of their household budget on energy — almost five times more than those who do not live in energy poverty. It strongly suggests that many households in Canada are struggling to meet their basic energy needs... (MORE - details)
Swelling grocery bills are pummeling the poorest – who spend over a quarter of their incomes on food
https://theconversation.com/swelling-gro...ood-186980
INTRO: The cost of eggs and bread is soaring – a trend that’s particularly punishing for the poorest Americans. Average food prices climbed an annualized rate of 10.4% in June, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on July 13, 2022.
The gains were driven primarily by the cost of groceries, which jumped the most since the 1970s, by 12.2%. Overall inflation was up 9.1% from a year earlier. These sharp increases have startled consumers, in large part because food costs had been rising moderately for decades.
While all Americans have seen their grocery bills swell, many may not fully appreciate the enormous burden that rising food costs pose for low-income households. The reason is simple: Poor families spend a much larger share of their income on food than the median household... (MORE - details)
https://theconversation.com/worried-abou...ath-186371
INTRO: Almost one in 10 Canadian households spend more than 10 per cent of their income to heat and cool their homes, keep the lights on and to store or cook food. For these households, the high cost of energy, which includes electricity, natural gas, heating oil and propane, means they may ration their use, leading them to live in energy poverty.
Energy, in its many forms, has a vital role in people’s lives. It can provide entertainment, nourishment and the ability to work, but it also supplies critical services, such as heating or cooling.
Extreme weather events, like the 2021 heat dome in Western Canada, are expected to increase in frequency in the future and will amplify the need for these critical energy services. A household’s high energy burden could be a risk to the lives of everyone in that home.
Our research shows that some households in Canada spend up to 16 per cent of their household budget on energy — almost five times more than those who do not live in energy poverty. It strongly suggests that many households in Canada are struggling to meet their basic energy needs... (MORE - details)
Swelling grocery bills are pummeling the poorest – who spend over a quarter of their incomes on food
https://theconversation.com/swelling-gro...ood-186980
INTRO: The cost of eggs and bread is soaring – a trend that’s particularly punishing for the poorest Americans. Average food prices climbed an annualized rate of 10.4% in June, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on July 13, 2022.
The gains were driven primarily by the cost of groceries, which jumped the most since the 1970s, by 12.2%. Overall inflation was up 9.1% from a year earlier. These sharp increases have startled consumers, in large part because food costs had been rising moderately for decades.
While all Americans have seen their grocery bills swell, many may not fully appreciate the enormous burden that rising food costs pose for low-income households. The reason is simple: Poor families spend a much larger share of their income on food than the median household... (MORE - details)