US Power Shutoffs Surge After Record Hot July

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes · Last updated: 1 October 2026

In July 2026, utilities in 10 states disconnected 173,598 households from the electric grid, a 28% increase versus July 2024, as extreme heat combined with rapidly rising energy costs to push many families offline. As first reported by The Guardian, the figures come from a NEADA compilation that covers a sample of states including New York, Georgia, California and Illinois. The spike sits alongside a federal figure showing 13.4 million household shut-offs in 2024 and an NEADA estimate that about one in six US households is behind on energy bills, exposing low-income, older and fuel-insecure families to health and financial harm.

We have been hearing from so many people angry and desperate because their bills have doubled – temperatures are going up and so are the costs,

Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA)

How heat and price spikes combined to cut power to households

July 2026 brought an unprecedented level of heat across the United States and a concurrent jump in household energy costs. Utilities recorded 173,598 disconnections across a sample of 10 states that month; NEADA compiled the data from state and tribal energy-assistance bodies. Many households faced much higher bills partly because of greater air‑conditioning use and rising wholesale and retail energy costs, the latter pushed higher by grid upgrades and other supply pressures noted in public commentary.

Households that cannot afford the surge in bills respond by rationing cooling, running a single fan or shutting off air conditioning entirely. That behaviour raises the immediate risk of heat illness and compounds medical and social harms among older people and those on fixed incomes. The combination of back‑to‑back heat events and disconnected service is the proximate mechanism behind the surge in summer shut‑offs.

Who is most exposed and why protections vary by state

The people most affected are low‑income households, older residents and those who depend on electricity for medical or caregiving needs. NEADA’s figures and interviews collected by the reporting name multiple examples: a 70‑year‑old in Texas paying about $600 a month for electricity, and other residents on fixed incomes describing panic and health impacts after repeated overheating. Those anecdotes map onto NEADA’s estimate that roughly one in six US households is currently behind on energy bills.

Legal protections against disconnection differ widely. Twenty‑three states and Washington DC have limits that bar shut‑offs when temperatures exceed a threshold; the other 27 states permit disconnections irrespective of heat. That patchwork means where someone lives can determine whether they are legally protected from a heat‑related shut‑off, which in turn explains variation in the short sample of reporting states NEADA assembled.

Policy responses, aid shortfalls and winter risks

Federal and local responses are mixed. NEADA has asked Congress for an additional $3bn for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help households manage high costs. LIHEAP currently directs roughly 80% of its funding toward heating in winter rather than summer cooling, a distribution NEADA and some city leaders say does not match today’s climatic reality.

At the municipal level, cities have expanded cooling centres, tree canopy and other heat mitigation, while some states have emergency protections for vulnerable customers. Still, broader drivers of higher bills — including investments in grid upgrades, rising fuel costs and demand growth — remain in place. NEADA also warned that homes heated by oil may face winter bills about 50% higher than last year, creating a looming pressure point if federal aid is not increased.

How the situation could improve or worsen

The bottom line

The July 2026 surge in electricity shut‑offs makes clear that extreme heat and rising energy costs are converging to create acute social and public‑health risks. The numbers cited by NEADA — 173,598 disconnections in a 10‑state sample and a 28% year‑on‑year jump — sit beside a much larger national picture of millions of shut‑offs and one in six households behind on bills. Fixing that requires both short‑term relief, such as additional LIHEAP funding and expanded cooling services, and longer‑term measures to rein in household bills and shore up protections where none exist.

What to watch

• Watch whether Congress approves additional LIHEAP funding after NEADA’s $3bn request; no date has been set.
• Watch for state rule‑making or emergency orders that change disconnection limits; no date has been set.
• Watch NEADA and state agencies’ winter impact reports that quantify heating‑cost increases for oil‑heated homes; no date has been set.

This article is information, not financial advice. Anyone acting on it should do their own checks.