For many families, Christmas is one of the few times in the year when everyone is under the same roof. The kitchen stays busy, heaters run longer and small businesses work overtime to meet holiday demand. All of that depends on one thing many people only notice when the bill comes: energy.
These costs matter even more for Hispanic households, which already carry higher energy burdens than the national average. American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) research finds that more than a quarter (28%) of Hispanic households face a high energy burden, meaning they spend over six percent of their income on home energy bills.
At the same time, a growing number of working families fall into the ALICE category (asset limited, income constrained, employed). ALICE data shows that as of 2022, about 42% of U.S. households, roughly 54 million, were below the ALICE threshold. More than half of these Hispanic households (54%) fell into poverty or ALICE status. These families are working, many in essential jobs, but still struggle to cover basics like housing, childcare, food and utilities.
For households already stretched this thin, energy policy is not abstract. It is a line item in the monthly budget.
What the Energy Choice Act Actually Does
The recently introduced Energy Choice Act is designed to prevent states and local governments from banning or limiting access to an energy service based solely on the type or source of energy. If passed, cities could not enact ordinances that effectively block new natural gas connections, or on the other side, block electricity or renewable fuels. The goal is simple: protect the ability of families and businesses to choose the mix of energy that fits their needs and budget.
When Natural Gas Bans Meet Real World Costs
Natural gas bans often start with building codes that prohibit new gas hookups. Berkeley, California became the first U.S. city to pass such a ban in 2019, which blocked natural gas piping in most new buildings. The California Restaurant Association sued and argued that such bans harm restaurants that rely on gas cooking. In 2023, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and Berkeley ultimately settled and began repealing the ban.
For small restaurants, especially those that are Hispanic-owned, this was not a symbolic fight. Commercial kitchens are often built around gas stoves and gas water heating. To force all electric construction can mean higher operating costs and more expensive equipment. Or, even make it impossible to open in the first place.
The same problem shows up at home. Studies of forcing buildings to be all-electric in California and other regions find that retrofitting an existing gas-heated home to fully electric systems can cost thousands of dollars. Southern California Regional Energy Network electrification review shows projects ranging from five thousand to nearly 20 thousand dollars, with some modeled scenarios reaching 28 thousand dollars to replace gas space and water heating with electric alternatives. For ALICE and low-income families, these numbers are far out of reach.
Why Energy Choice Matters Most to Struggling Households
Federal data also shows that natural gas is often the least expensive way to heat a home on a per unit energy basis. A Department of Energy representative cost comparison found residential electricity averaging about $38 to $42 per million Btu versus around $10 to $12 for natural gas. This means electric heat can cost roughly three to four times more per unit of energy before efficiency is even considered.
The Energy Information Administration reports that about 45 to 46 percent of U.S. homes still rely on natural gas as their primary heating fuel and that households heating with electricity face rising costs in coming winters as electric rates increase, while natural gas heating bills are expected to stay roughly flat.
If policymakers ban new natural gas service, ALICE and Hispanic households end up squeezed twice. They are already more likely to have higher energy burdens and less financial cushion. Energy bans then force them to replace working gas furnaces, stoves or water heaters with new electric systems that can cost thousands of dollars. For small businesses, especially family owned restaurants, the same dynamic can decide whether a new location opens or stays only an idea on paper.
A Christmas Gift That Protects Families’ Options
Energy choice does not mean favoring one technology forever. It means allowing families to adopt new options when they are financially ready, and not because a local code suddenly removed their existing choices. The Energy Choice Act protects the option to use natural gas, but it also protects access to electricity, renewable sources, and future low carbon fuels.
For Hispanic households that already devote a larger share of their income to energy, protecting that choice is not a luxury. Protecting that choice is a guardrail against policies that unintentionally raise bills and retrofit costs at the worst possible time.
This Christmas, as lawmakers debate the future of American energy, keeping choice on the table is one of the most practical gifts they can give. It means a better chance that Hispanic families can afford to heat their homes, run their businesses and keep the lights glowing through the holidays.
