A new report from the John Locke Foundation warns that many low-income families in Eastern North Carolina are facing a massive financial squeeze just to keep their lights on.
The think tank’s latest county-by-county index reveals that Pitt County tops the list as the least affordable county in the state for households served by major investor-owned utilities. According to the data, low-income families in Pitt County spend an average of nearly 14 percent of their annual income just on electricity bills. That is more than double the 6.5 percent threshold that experts consider affordable.
Researchers say that after paying these high energy costs, struggling families are left with far too little for food, medicine, and housing.
