Topic: More Americans Than Ever Can’t Afford to Pay Their Electric Bill - page 2. (Read 220 times)
August 26, 2022, 12:36:24 PM
I think the major issue regarding this is the effect of unemployment, underemployment or increase in inflation and tax. Since the fed made a statement of increase in tax rate, most economies have started feeling the heat. Regarding the generation of electricity by individuals or group, I don't know the American law on that but worse they can use solar energy to generate house hold electricity.
August 26, 2022, 07:49:41 AM
According to this, 1 in 6 american households have fallen behind on electricity payments. Installment payment plans and state assistance are some of the options available. But the situation doesn't look good.
One in six American is not a very bad condition. In my country it might be five out of six. The global economic crisis is biting the economy of both the great and small nation. The situation might not look good, but I trust America they would overcome this challenge.
It seems most are suffering in silence as there hasn't been much public discussion on the topic.
Americans are well cultured and understanding people. They understand the global economic situation and they have confidence in their government. Protest breeds from misunderstanding and mistrust. And an average American is a nationalist, their love for this nation is boundless.
Is it possible that rising electricity costs could fuel a trend towards mass adoption of renewable energy for residential use? As people seek alternatives due to grid energy being priced outside their budget? Is there a silver lining and positive note to this doom and gloom?
As the cost of natural gas and petrol rise. Many have speculated it will create opportunities and accelerate adoption of alternatives to traditional fossil fuels which are superior. While much of europe is unsuitable for either wind or solar power. The same cannot be said of the united states. Maybe we have a chance for energy independence. Although, it doesn't seem as if many care about things like that.
August 25, 2022, 06:17:37 PM
Quote
With more people owing more money, utility companies are getting more aggressive about shutoffs.
A “Tsunami of Shut-Offs” Is Coming
US electricity prices surging and more people than ever are struggling to pay the power company. More than 20 million American households have fallen behind on their utility bills, about 1 of every 6 homes, and the amount they owe has doubled since before the pandemic.
With more people owing more money, utilities are getting more aggressive about cutting off delinquent customers. Many states imposed shutoff moratoriums during the pandemic, but those policies wound down just as record inflation made power – and almost everything else — more costly.
That’s going to trigger a “tsunami of shutoffs,” Jean Su, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, told Bloomberg News for a story I co-wrote this week on the coming crisis.
The basic problem is that electricity is more expensive, up 15% from a year ago, and there's no sign of relief. That’s because power prices are linked to the cost of natural gas, which has more than doubled in the past year and is expected to remain high at least into next year.
Meanwhile, climate change has triggered extreme heat around the world, driving up power consumption, and power bills, as people seek refuge in air-conditioning. And in many hot regions, cooling isn't just for comfort — people who lose power during a stifling heat wave can die. While 41 states have some kind of protection against winter shutoffs for exactly this reason, only 19 have similar policies for the sweltering summer months. New Orleans last month asked its local utility to halt summer shutoffs as temperatures climbed, and this is going to become more urgent amid the global climate crisis.
Government aid is helping avert some shutoffs, and Congress this month asked for additional emergency funding on top of the $4 billion already set aside for a federal assistance program this year. Many states also have assistance programs, and utilities are generally willing to work with struggling customers. Most will agree not to shut off power to people who have applied for assistance or signed up for some kind of payment plan.
But that help is just a band-aid that masks the underlying issue, according to Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association. Low-income families already face a high energy burden, with a greater portion of their income needed to cover utility bills than wealthier families. For some, electricity is becoming too expensive to afford at all.
“The bills just aren’t affordable,” says Wolfe. “People on the bottom, they can’t pay this.” —Will Wade
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2022-08-25/more-americans-than-ever-can-t-afford-to-pay-their-electric-bill
A “Tsunami of Shut-Offs” Is Coming
US electricity prices surging and more people than ever are struggling to pay the power company. More than 20 million American households have fallen behind on their utility bills, about 1 of every 6 homes, and the amount they owe has doubled since before the pandemic.
With more people owing more money, utilities are getting more aggressive about cutting off delinquent customers. Many states imposed shutoff moratoriums during the pandemic, but those policies wound down just as record inflation made power – and almost everything else — more costly.
That’s going to trigger a “tsunami of shutoffs,” Jean Su, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, told Bloomberg News for a story I co-wrote this week on the coming crisis.
The basic problem is that electricity is more expensive, up 15% from a year ago, and there's no sign of relief. That’s because power prices are linked to the cost of natural gas, which has more than doubled in the past year and is expected to remain high at least into next year.
Meanwhile, climate change has triggered extreme heat around the world, driving up power consumption, and power bills, as people seek refuge in air-conditioning. And in many hot regions, cooling isn't just for comfort — people who lose power during a stifling heat wave can die. While 41 states have some kind of protection against winter shutoffs for exactly this reason, only 19 have similar policies for the sweltering summer months. New Orleans last month asked its local utility to halt summer shutoffs as temperatures climbed, and this is going to become more urgent amid the global climate crisis.
Government aid is helping avert some shutoffs, and Congress this month asked for additional emergency funding on top of the $4 billion already set aside for a federal assistance program this year. Many states also have assistance programs, and utilities are generally willing to work with struggling customers. Most will agree not to shut off power to people who have applied for assistance or signed up for some kind of payment plan.
But that help is just a band-aid that masks the underlying issue, according to Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association. Low-income families already face a high energy burden, with a greater portion of their income needed to cover utility bills than wealthier families. For some, electricity is becoming too expensive to afford at all.
“The bills just aren’t affordable,” says Wolfe. “People on the bottom, they can’t pay this.” —Will Wade
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2022-08-25/more-americans-than-ever-can-t-afford-to-pay-their-electric-bill
....
According to this, 1 in 6 american households have fallen behind on electricity payments. Installment payment plans and state assistance are some of the options available. But the situation doesn't look good.
It seems most are suffering in silence as there hasn't been much public discussion on the topic.
Is it possible that rising electricity costs could fuel a trend towards mass adoption of renewable energy for residential use? As people seek alternatives due to grid energy being priced outside their budget? Is there a silver lining and positive note to this doom and gloom?
As the cost of natural gas and petrol rise. Many have speculated it will create opportunities and accelerate adoption of alternatives to traditional fossil fuels which are superior. While much of europe is unsuitable for either wind or solar power. The same cannot be said of the united states. Maybe we have a chance for energy independence. Although, it doesn't seem as if many care about things like that.
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