Higher energy prices and older residences mean more rural residents will struggle to stay warm this winter

Many rural residents will struggle to afford heat this winter. 
(Photo by Nadine Marfurt, Unsplash)

Rural residents can struggle to pay their utility bills during the winter months because they face barriers to conserving heat, such as living in older homes or apartments that can be drafty and lack energy-saving features. They are also more likely to have limited access to aid programs designed to help Americans afford energy while avoiding utility debt.

Roughly 80 million Americans have trouble paying their monthly heat and electricity bills. "Now, as the cost of energy climbs, experts say more people are at risk of energy insecurity and poverty, defined by the struggle or inability to keep up with electric, heating, and cooling bills," reports Julia Tilton of The Daily Yonder. 

As electricity and gas rates continue to increase across the U.S., the number of rural residents who can't afford their utility bills has soared. "In the South and Appalachia, rates of severe utility debt were nearly twice as high as of June 2025, per analysis from the Century Foundation economic think tank," Tilton reports. "With winter approaching, home heating costs are expected to outpace inflation."

Maria Castillo, a senior associate on the electricity team at energy think tank RMI, told Tilton, "Who we understand as experiencing energy poverty is unfortunately expanding because of the affordability pressures brought on by rising prices and the volatility of gas prices."

While many rural families qualify for federal utility support through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, completing LIHEAP paperwork can prevent rural residents from accessing energy aid.

Katrina Metzler, the executive director for the National Energy and Utility Affordability Coalition, told Tilton, "If they’re having trouble affording their utility bills, can they also afford gasoline to get in the car and drive many miles, however many it might be, to reach the office where assistance is available and complete the application?” 

Wisdom from the world's best homemaking hackers

Amanda Ahlenius, left, with her wise-tipster Grandma,
Marcia Clupper. (Amanda Ahlenius photo via WaPo)

Scratchy towels, stubborn stains, and tomato paste dilemmas all have handy hacks. But who are the best homemaking hackers? Grandmas! And other wise women who have been sharing their ingenious solutions long before hacking was a thing, writes Cathy Free of The Washington Post.

Mother and professional dietitian Amanda Ahlenius, "was feeling overwhelmed with her responsibilities when she began thinking about her grandmother, and how easily and seamlessly she seemed to tackle household chores. . . . Ahlenius has gotten dozens of life tips from her grandmother to make household tasks easier."

“I remember watching her do these things as a little girl, and she’s still doing them now," Ahlenius told Free. "I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we could all start sharing the advice we’d learned from the older women in our lives, like our moms, grandmas and aunts?’” Free reports,"In February, Ahlenius decided to post a quick video on TikTok, asking, 'How much could we learn from each other if we all shared the random things that the women in our lives have taught us?'"

Her video's theme had broad resonance. "That first video has been viewed more than 865,000 times, and another video with a tip about how to scrape tomato paste from a can has more than 9.3 million views. In another video, she said her grandmother has a solid set of tools and expertly knows how to use them all," Free adds. "She now regularly posts life hacks contributed by her 330,000 followers from their own grandmas."

"She said that as a child she would sit at her grandmother Marcia Clupper’s kitchen table in the farm town of South Whitley, Ind., population 1,800, and watch her flawlessly move from one household task to another," Free writes. Ahlenius told her: “She was born in the 1930s, so she knows how to save money. One thing she taught me is that when the price of milk is high, you can buy a gallon of milk, mix it half and half with powdered milk, and it will be cheaper and taste the same. . . What I’m really hoping for now is a solid tip on how to fold a fitted sheet. I’ve watched all the videos, and I still can’t do it.”