1 in 5 adults couldn't pay an energy bill last year. It's a vicious cycle of climate crisis and companies raising prices.
Census Bureau
, 1 in 5 US adults lived in households that were unable to pay all their utility bills in the last year. That might be partly due to the increased cost of utilities over the course of the pandemic. Climate change and extreme weather bear much of the blame: these conditions raise the prices of raw materials, which raise the prices of heat, electricity, and even coffee.
of gouging prices during climate crises. As a result, thousands of Americans won't have power and heat this winter — companies will simply shut them off. , which was launched in April of last year to record data about the impact of the coronavirus on individuals and families, also found that nearly a third of adults live in households where it has been somewhat or very difficult to pay usual expenses in the past week .
Households currently owe power companies nearly $20 billion, 67% higher than the average year, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association. That number peaked at about $30 billion at the height of the pandemic.
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