Increases in energy prices are having a disproportionate impact on the poorer segments of the American population, according to a report issued by an industry lobbying group.

Families making less than $10,000 will spend 48 percent of their pretax income on energy this year, according to figures in "Energy Cost Burdens on American Families," compared with 17 percent for families earning between $10,000 and $30,000 and 11 percent for those earning between $30,000 and $50,000. Households earning more than $50,000 a year will spend 5 percent on energy.

All told, the average expenditure will be $4,100, according to the report, which was produced by Americans for Balanced Energy Choices. It draws on data from three federal agencies: the Census Bureau, the Department of Energy and the Department of Transportation.

The report divided the expenses into the categories of residential energy, used for home heating and cooking; and transportation energy, which is essentially gasoline.

Americans for Balanced Energy Choices is a nonprofit group funded primarily by coal producers, transportation and electricity companies that are seeking to promote the increased use of coal as a competitively priced fuel that burns cleaner thanks to newer technologies.