Energy burden is the share of your household income that goes to energy bills, and it is the number that decides whether rising electric rates are an annoyance or a crisis for your home. The Department of Energy calls anything above 6% a high energy burden, and above 10% severe. Most homeowners have never computed theirs.
The calculator below does it in ten seconds, then shows what changes if solar offsets part of your bill. Your numbers stay in your browser; nothing is submitted. When you reach the solar question, our state cost guides show what a fairly priced system runs where you live.
Your Energy Burden
Thresholds: U.S. Department of Energy LEAD methodology (above 6% = high burden, above 10% = severe). Electricity only; add other fuels for a whole-energy figure.
Why Energy Burden Beats the Average Bill as a Yardstick
A $185 bill means different things at different incomes: 2.2% of a $100,000 household budget, but 7.4% of a $30,000 one, deep into high-burden territory for the same kilowatt-hours. That is why national average bill comparisons mislead, and why rate increases land hardest on the households least covered in the coverage of them. Burden puts your bill in the only context that matters: yours.
What Actually Moves the Number
Three levers, in order of control: the rate you pay per kilowatt-hour (set by your utility and rising in most states we track), the kilowatt-hours you use (efficiency work moves this 10 to 20%), and how much of your usage your own roof supplies. Solar attacks the third lever hardest, which is why the offset slider above changes the result more than any realistic efficiency retrofit would. Whether the panels themselves pencil in your state depends on crediting rules and install pricing; our state guides carry that math for all 50 states.
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Energy Burden FAQs
What is a good energy burden percentage?
Below 6% of household income. The Department of Energy classifies burdens above 6% as high and above 10% as severe; the national median for electricity sits well under the 6% line, which is exactly why crossing it is a meaningful signal.
Does this calculator include gas and heating fuel?
No, it measures electricity only. Add your annual gas, propane or heating oil spend to the bill figure if you want a whole-energy burden; the DOE thresholds apply to total energy costs.
Can solar eliminate my energy burden entirely?
Rarely to zero: fixed utility charges survive even a 100% offset, and in states that credit exports below retail, oversizing past your own usage stops paying. A realistic well-designed system offsets 60 to 90% of the bill, which the slider models honestly.
How do I calculate my energy burden?
Divide your total annual energy spending by your gross household income, then multiply by 100. A household earning $60,000 that spends $2,400 a year on electricity carries a 4% energy burden. Researchers flag anything above 6% as high and above 10% as severe.
References & Research Sources
- U.S. Department of Energy, Low-Income Energy Affordability Data (LEAD) Tool and its energy burden methodology (6% high, 10% severe thresholds). Accessed September 2026.
- EcoGen America state guides, utility rate and crediting figures, each carrying its own tariff and statute sources. Accessed September 2026.
