More Americans worried about energy costs, availability: poll

More Americans are concerned about the availability and affordability of energy now than they have been in a decade, according to a new survey from Gallup. 

The poll found that 47 percent of Americans had a great deal of concern over the cost and availability of energy. Meanwhile, 30 percent said they worry a fair amount, 17 percent said only a little and 5 percent said not at all.

One year ago, 37 percent of people had a great deal of concern about energy. That figure has more than doubled since 2020, when 22 percent of Americans had a great deal of concern about the issue, Gallup reported.

Similar levels of concern over energy have not been seen since 2012, when 48 percent said they worried about energy costs a great deal, according to the survey giant.

Gallup’s poll also found more people found the energy situation in the U.S. to be very serious. 

Specifically, 44 percent of U.S. adults said the situation was “very serious.” Another 46 percent called it “fairly serious” and 10 percent said it was “not at all serious.” Last year, 32 percent of respondents described the situation as very serious.

The survey included 1,017 adults and has a margin of error of 4 percent. It was conducted March 1-18.

It comes as fuel prices have skyrocketed in recent weeks after the U.S. banned oil imports from Russia in response to the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. 

Since then, some states, like Connecticut, Maryland and Georgia, have offered temporary pauses on gas taxes to make prices at the pump more affordable.