NEW YORK - U.S. home energy bills are expected to rise by 7.9% this summer as extreme heat increases cooling costs, according to a study released on Monday by the National Energy Assistance Directors Association and the Center for Energy, Poverty, and Climate.
Mid-Atlantic and west coast states are forecast to have the biggest hikes in home electricity costs from June to September, jumping about 12% from the same period last year, said NEADA and CEPC, which are both Washington-based policy organizations focused on affordable energy access for people with low incomes. Steep rises of about 10% are also likely for Midwestern states and parts of the U.S. south, the organizations said.
The U.S. south is likely to see overall highest costs, with power bills in Texas and surrounding states expected to hit $858 this summer, the organizations said. Utility consumer debt, which is a measure of what power customers owe their electricity providers, rose to $20.3 billion in December 2023 from $17.5 billion in January of that year, the organizations said."Access to affordable cooling is more than a matter of comfort," the report said.