Overview

• Households that heat with electricity face a 10.2% jump to about $1,205, natural gas bills are projected up 8.4% to $693, and heating oil and propane costs are expected to fall roughly 4% and 5%.
• Regional pressures are pronounced, with NEADA projecting electricity increases of about 18% in the West, 21.4% in the South, 19.7% in the Midwest, and a smaller 7.2% rise in the Northeast.
• NEADA attributes rising costs to expensive grid maintenance and upgrades, higher wholesale natural gas prices, and growing electricity demand from large data centers.
• Financial stress is mounting, with about one in six U.S. households behind on utility bills, arrearages up to roughly $23 billion by mid‑2025, and LIHEAP funding down to about $4 billion from $6.1 billion in 2023.
• A recent analysis cited by reporters says 102 gas and electric utilities have raised or proposed rate hikes, and providers such as Dominion Energy are promoting budget billing and winter assistance programs.