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Survey: 1 in 5 Americans cut back on groceries to pay electricity bills
In brief
Rising electricity bills are squeezing U.S. households, with about one in five Americans saying they have cut back on groceries or looked into doing so to keep up, according to a Consumer Reports survey of 2,003 adults released on October 21, 2026. The nonprofit also launched a free tool, CR Bill Decoder, to help people understand their bills.
What the survey found
Among people who have lived in the same home for at least three years, 81 per cent said their electricity bills went up over that time. Twenty-eight per cent said the increase was between 20 and 49 per cent, and 6 per cent said bills rose by half or more. About three in four of those with higher bills said it strained their finances, and households earning under $85,000 a year were more than twice as likely to say it strained them a lot. About one in four people said they had turned their heating or cooling down to uncomfortable levels, or considered it, and a similar share cut spending on eating out and travel.
When asked what drives their costs, the most common answers were utility company profits (45 per cent) and demand from data centres and AI systems (38 per cent), followed by changing fuel prices and repairs to the grid. About three in four said they trust state utility regulators only a little or not at all. CBS News, citing federal data, reported that electricity prices in major U.S. cities have risen 14 per cent over the past three years.
A new tool for reading your bill
The survey is part of a new Consumer Reports initiative called Power Smarter. Its CR Bill Decoder lets people upload a bill to see what the charges mean, find state efficiency and assistance programs, and get short-term tips such as checking appliance efficiency ratings. Consumer Reports says the bills it collects will also help it map price trends and push for fairer rates. About 38 per cent of people who read their bills said they were hard to understand.
VSH take: a bill is easier to manage once you know your own numbers. Compare this month with the same month last year using our percentage calculator (the percentage increase guide shows the method), then set a small cushion for winter with the savings goal planner. If a bill is overdue, call your utility before the due date and ask about payment plans or the federal LIHEAP program.
This is our own summary of a published survey and news coverage. ViralScopeHub is not affiliated with Consumer Reports or any utility company.
Why it matters
Electricity is a bill people cannot shop around for, so rising rates hit fixed-income households, students and renters hard heading into winter.
People also ask
How much have U.S. electricity bills gone up?
In a Consumer Reports survey, 81% of people in the same home for three years said bills rose; 28% reported increases of 20% to 49%. CBS News said prices in major cities rose 14% in three years, citing federal data.
What is CR Bill Decoder?
A free Consumer Reports tool launched on October 21, 2026, that explains the charges on an uploaded utility bill and points to local efficiency and assistance programs.
Where can I get help paying an electricity bill?
Contact your utility about payment plans, and check whether you qualify for the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) through your state.
Related free tools: Percentage Calculator, Savings Goal Planner, Unit Price Comparer
Sources
- Consumer Reports: Rising electricity bills are straining household finances, new Consumer Reports survey finds
- Consumer Reports: Consumer Reports launches Power Smarter initiative
- CBS News: Electricity bills force 1 in 5 Americans to cut back on food, Consumer Reports finds
Every ViralScopeHub news item is an original summary written in our own words. We link to the original reporting so you can read the full story from the publisher.
