A significant number of US households experienced electricity disconnections in July 2026, a month recorded as the hottest ever in the US. Figures provided to the Guardian indicate that 173,598 households across 10 states had their electric supply shut off by utilities.
This represents a 28% increase in electricity disconnections compared to July 2024. The surge occurred as households contended with rising energy costs alongside dangerous heatwaves.
Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA), stated that many people are cutting back on food or medicine to pay energy bills. NEADA estimates that about one in six US households are currently behind on their energy bills.
Electricity prices in the US have been climbing since 2021, driven by demands from artificial intelligence datacenters and the cost of utility grid upgrades. The Guardian also reports that the US and Israeli attack on Iran earlier this year has accelerated this trend.