Utility Debt Builds for Millions Amid Signs of Cooling Inflation

Steam rises from a coal power plant in Adamsville, Ala., on April 11, 2021. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty ImagesAn increasing number of American households are falling behind on their utility bills as energy costs remain elevated heading into winter, according to a new analysis from two nonprofits. Past-due balances owed to electric and gas utilities have climbed from $597 to $789 over the past three years—a 32 percent jump that a Nov. 17 report from The Century Foundation and Protect Borrowers says is an indication of growing financial strain on millions of American households.