Americans' energy bills are piling up, forcing them deeper into debt and even triggering power shutoffs.

As of June 2025, nearly one in 20 households went into collections or fell in arrears on their utility bills, according to a new joint report from The Century Foundation, a progressive think tank, and advocacy group Protect Borrowers. The problem was even more pronounced in parts of the South and Appalachia, where one in 12 households was already in collections or on the verge of it.

In the last three years, the average overdue balance on utility bills climbed from $597 to $789, a 32% jump, the report found.

More Americans are falling behind in their utility payments due to rising energy prices , alongside a jump in costs for other essentials, ranging from child care to hou

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