More than 20 million households in the United States are behind on their energy bills, according to a recent Bloomberg report based on data from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA).
The households in question owe a combined $16 billion in unpaid utility bills, with the average balance owed climbing to $792, a 97 percent jump since 2019.
“The bills just aren’t affordable,” Mark Wolfe, NEADA’s executive director, told Bloomberg. “People on the bottom, they can’t pay this.”
The number of Americans delinquent with their utility companies has doubled from pre-pandemic levels, as millions throughout the United States struggle with debt and inflation….