As Electric Bills Rise, So Do Power Shutoffs

The Washington Post is out with a story that has a sobering takeaway: As electricity prices soar, more Americans are seeing their utilities shut off. A few stats from the piece tell the tale:

• No national data on shutoffs exists, but a snapshot of 11 states shows that disconnections increased in at least eight of them over the past year, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association.
• The problem is particularly acute in places like New York City, where residential shutoffs in August were five times higher than the previous year. In Pennsylvania, shutoffs are up 21% this year, with more than 270,000 households losing electricity as average bills climb 13%.

• Nationally, electricity prices have risen 11% since January, with some states like Missouri seeing increases as high as 37%. Newsweek has a map providing a sense of utility costs around the US.
• "With prices going up so rapidly, electricity is becoming unaffordable in many parts of the country," Mark Wolfe, executive director of NEADA, tells the Post. "And it isn't just lower-income households anymore; it's spilling into the middle class."
• About 14 million Americans are now behind on utility payments, with the average overdue balance up 32% since 2022. Utility companies say they are expanding assistance programs and offering payment plans, but disconnections appear to be mounting.
• In an op-ed at the Guardian, Wolfe and Massachusetts Sen. Edward Markey call for long-term reforms, including increased funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.