The U.S. is headed into what forecasters expect to be one of the hottest summers on record, and millions of people across the country will struggle to pay their power bills as temperatures and energy costs rise.
A 2023 national survey found that nearly 1 in 4 Americans were unable to pay their full energy bill for at least one month, and nearly 1 in 4 reported that they kept their homes at unsafe temperatures to save money. By 2025, updated polling indicated nearly 3 in 4 Americans are worried about rising energy costs.
Conservative estimates suggest that utilities shut off power to more than 3 million U.S. households each year because the residents cannot pay their bills.
Assistant Professor of Human Geography Nikki Luke, Conor Harrison and Elena Louder from the University of South Carolina, and Shelly Welton from the University of Pennsylvania study energy insecurity. They offer analysis of the Trump administration’s proposed 2026 budget, which eliminates funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and examine the potential impacts on U.S. households. Read more at The Conversation.
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