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by yummyfajitas 4662 days ago
Heating is not a major problem for the poor. Only 12% of the poor were uncomfortably cold for at least 24 hours last winter. (For comparison, 8% of the nation as a whole suffered this problem.)

http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/h150-07.pdf see table 2.1

Similarly, 73% of the poor own a car.

I guess the budgetary constraints the poor face are not as severe as you seem to believe.