Federal data released in April showed utilities disconnected residential electricity service 13.4 million times across the United States in 2024, a stark measure of how often households lost power over unpaid bills. The same report counted 1.7 million residential natural gas disconnections and 94.9 million final notices sent to electricity customers. Together, the figures show how often missed payments moved from warning letters to shutoffs.
The numbers arrive as other recent analyses point to deeper strain on household budgets. An Associated Press report in November 2025, citing analysis by The Century Foundation and Protect Borrowers, said past-due balances to utility companies jumped 9.7% year over year to $789 between the April to June periods of 2024 and 2025, while monthly energy bills rose 12% over the same stretch.
Federal report puts national numbers on shutoffs
The April 2026 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration was prepared after Congress asked for better information on residential utility disconnections. EIA said it launched a new survey of electric and gas delivery companies, then compiled monthly estimates for calendar year 2024. The agency said 143.0 million residential electricity customers and 74.0 million residential natural gas customers were covered by the report.
EIA said October had the highest number of residential electricity disconnections, at 1.5 million, while July had the fewest, at 967,012. For natural gas, April had the most disconnections, at 214,726, and December had the fewest, at 52,783. The agency also counted 11.4 million residential electricity reconnections in 2024, a reminder that many households were cut off, then restored, sometimes more than once in the same year.
The report also carries an important limit. EIA said the data measure final notices, disconnections and reconnections issued during 2024, and an individual customer account may receive more than one of each in a calendar year. That means the totals do not represent 13.4 million separate households.
For families already behind, a shutoff often lands after months of strain. The AP reported in 2025 that utility bills are usually treated as a priority payment, alongside mortgages and auto debt, making rising delinquencies a broader warning sign for household finances. Julie Margetta Morgan, president of The Century Foundation, told AP that the data show “what that impact has been on families in terms of how they’re falling behind.”
Newer analysis suggests the pressure has continued. The Century Foundation reported in July 2026 that one in six U.S. households is behind on utility bills, citing a National Energy Assistance Directors Association report, and said those households owe a combined $25 billion to electric and gas utilities. The same analysis said the national average overdue utility balance rose by more than 8 percent, to $817 in March 2026.
Shutoff protections remain uneven. AP reported in September 2025 that about half of U.S. states offer protections from utility shutoffs during extreme heat, while 41 states have cold weather rules. The LIHEAP Clearinghouse said in a July 2026 update that 42 states have cold weather disconnection protections, but only two states have policies to prevent disconnections during extreme weather events.
Some states have moved to widen seasonal protections as utility costs and heat risks climb. In Arizona, state officials announced an April 15, 2026 settlement with Arizona Public Service barring power shutoffs for nonpayment when forecast highs are 95 degrees Fahrenheit or above. AP reported the settlement also required $2.7 million for a state consumer protection fund and $3.4 million for a program aimed at helping prevent shutoffs.
New Jersey announced its own summer protections on June 24, 2026. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities said its Summer Termination Program runs from June 15 through August 31 and bars disconnections of electric, water and sewer service for qualifying residential customers. The board said about 283,738 gas, electric, sewer and water customers were protected under the state’s winter program during the 2024-2025 season.
Consumer advocates say the patchwork leaves many households exposed. The National Consumer Law Center said in July 2026 that lawmakers should prohibit disconnections for at-risk families during extreme heat. Federal heating and cooling aid also remains limited. A February 2026 policy brief said fewer than 20% of income-eligible households receive LIHEAP assistance each year, leaving many households without help during severe heat events.