Report finds many low-income Illinois households skip air conditioning to save money

Published 10:07 am Friday, July 24, 2026

QUINCY — About 40% of low-income Illinois households, or an estimated 601,113 households, regularly turn off their air conditioning at night during the summer to reduce energy costs, according to a new report from Advance America, a financial services company that offers short-term consumer loans.

The findings are based on a July survey of 3,011 adults nationwide in households with annual incomes below $49,999. The company combined its survey results with 2023 U.S. Census Bureau data on local air conditioning access to estimate the scope of the issue by state.

According to the survey, households that limit air conditioning use to save money do so for an average of 11 nights per month. Illinois ranked below several other states with higher rates of AC cutbacks, including Connecticut, where 61% of low-income households reported regularly turning off cooling systems, along with Massachusetts, Maryland, Montana, and Michigan. Alaska had the lowest rate, at 9%.

Nationally, 7 in 10 survey respondents said they were at least somewhat concerned about the cost of cooling their homes this summer, and 27% said they had delayed paying another household bill in order to afford running their air conditioner.

More than two-thirds of respondents said cutting back on air conditioning negatively affected their sleep, with 37% reporting they slept much worse and 32% reporting they slept slightly worse. Respondents who slept without air conditioning to save money reported experiencing excessive sweating, difficulty falling or staying asleep, irritability, headaches, and difficulty concentrating the next day.

About 22% of respondents said they had felt their home was dangerously hot but avoided using air conditioning because of the cost, and 30% said they had delayed repairing or replacing a broken air conditioning system due to expense.

The survey also found that decisions around air conditioning use have created household tension, with about a third of respondents saying disagreements over the thermostat occur at least occasionally. When asked what they would give up for a month to afford air conditioning during extreme heat, respondents most often cited takeout meals, followed by new clothes and streaming subscriptions.

“No family should have to choose between staying cool and keeping up with their bills, but for millions of households, that’s exactly the situation,” Laura McCutcheon, vice president of marketing at Advance America, said in a statement. “Eleven nights a month without air conditioning isn’t a minor inconvenience. It affects sleep, health, workplace performance, and even family relationships.”