Half of Chicago parents say they struggled to keep up with winter energy bills, according to a new brief from Lurie Children's Hospital. The Voices of Child Health report, released Feb. 4, 2026, finds that energy insecurity cut across neighborhoods and income brackets. For many families, the choices were blunt: lower the thermostat to uncomfortable levels, give up other essentials, or rely on a space heater that could turn dangerous.
In the report from Lurie Children's Hospital, half of the parents (50%) reported at least one sign of energy insecurity. The brief details what that looked like at home: 21% of parents said they cut back on other basic expenses like rent, food, or medicine to cover an energy bill, and 16% said they reduced energy use to uncomfortable levels. Another 13% paid late fees, 13% turned to LIHEAP, 10% received disconnection notices, and 3% reported their service was actually shut off. The survey also found that 26% of families used a space heater during cold weather.
Why Winter Pushed Families to the Brink
Marie Heffernan, a lead researcher on the project, joined FOX 32 Chicago to break down the numbers and explain how winter bills can blow up a household budget. The segment highlighted how a single unexpectedly high statement can ripple into missed rent, skipped prescriptions, or last-ditch heating strategies that put families at risk.
Who Was Hit Hardest
The pain was not evenly shared. Low-income and Black families were hit the hardest: Lurie Children's Hospital reports that 85% of households earning $29,999 or less showed at least one indicator of energy insecurity, compared with 15% of those making $125,000 or more. By race, Black parents reported the highest rates at 84%, followed by Latino or Hispanic families at 60%, while white families reported 23%.
Safety Risks and Where To Get Help
Space heaters were a common fallback - 26% of parents said they used one - but they come with serious safety risks. Fire-safety reporting cited by Weill Cornell points out that space heaters are tied to a disproportionate share of winter heating deaths and injuries. For families looking for help before things get that desperate, the federal LIHEAP Clearinghouse offers a search tool for local energy assistance, and the city operates a network of warming centers and community-service locations during extreme cold, as reported by WTTW.
The brief frames energy costs as a public-health and equity issue linked to housing stability and child well-being. Advocates argue the new data should nudge officials to step up outreach and make assistance easier to find long before the next deep freeze hits.
