GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — After two winter storms, and a record-breaking cold snap to start February, Joseph Flowers was expecting his bill to be a little higher than usual; however, he was not expecting it to be $576.
“I then fell off the couch,” he said. “I couldn’t believe it because we didn’t do anything different.”
Flowers is blind. He lives in a small home in rural Gaston County and relies on disability to cover his bills.
“I don’t get but $1,200 a month,” he said.
In North Carolina, households are considered energy burdened if they’re regularly spending more than 10% of their monthly income on utilities. That burden is highest during the coldest and warmest months.
Melissa Malkin-Weber, the co-executive director of the Clean Energy Fund of the Carolinas explained it’s a common problem among households with low or fixed incomes. Typically, they tend to live in older, less energy-efficient homes that can’t keep up with extreme weather strikes. The situation only worsens when rates rise.
“The programs that are available to low-income people or moderate-income people to try to fix that like LIHEAP or weatherization, have long waiting lists, and sometimes, in order to be eligible for the for weatherization, you need to first get your urgent repairs,” she said.
She works to connect those in need with funding and programs to fix those underlying issues that waste energy. Currently, she’s focused on helping folks in North Carolina utilize options, including the HOMES and HEAR Rebates through Energy Saver NC or secure financing through Carolina SURE.
Ultimately, Malkin-Weber said the most vulnerable in the Carolinas pay the highest price when they live in inefficient homes, but everyone on the electric grid suffers. By reducing the amount of energy these homes waste, it would reduce the amount of power utilities need to generate and deliver.
“Utilities have to build their transmission and distribution to serve the coldest morning on the coldest day of the year. So, and who pays for all of those investments? The rate payers,” she said.
Flowers has applied for assistance paying his bill and is waiting on an answer.
In the meantime, he’s trying to pay his own way. He’s been splitting firewood and selling it for extra cash, hoping he can get some breathing room before the next bill arrives.
“When can the little man get a break?” he said.
VIDEO: Expert tips to stay warm while saving money on your power bills
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
