Utility Bills Forecasted to Surge this Summer in These States

The ongoing war in Iran and the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz – a key global shipping route – has helped send consumer prices soaring in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, inflation hit 3.3% in March 2026, well above the Federal Reserve’s target rate of 2%. Fuel oil prices have skyrocketed 44.2% over the last 12 months, and the price of gas is rapidly approaching $4.50 per gallon, on average. But when it comes to the energy sector, the pump is not the only place Americans are feeling the pinch. 

The Consumer Price Index shows that electricity prices climbed 4.6% in the last year, higher than the overall inflation rate, but well below what experts are anticipating in the months ahead. According to a recent report from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, household electricity bills between June and September 2026 are expected to be 8.5% higher than they were over the same period last year. 

The forecasted increase is attributable, in part, to rising electricity demand, linked to energy-intensive data centers that power Artificial Intelligence technology, and widespread air conditioning use during the summer months. 

Costs are not expected to rise evenly across the country, however. Due to a range of local factors, including climate, utilities pricing rates, and overall electricity demand, price hikes will be far more pronounced in certain parts of the country. In one region, encompassing seven of the 50 states, prices are even expected to decline slightly. 

Using data from the NEADA, Climate Crisis 247 identified the states where utility bills are expected to surge this summer. We ranked each of the nine regions that cover all 50 states on the projected relative change in average household electricity bills between summer 2025 and summer 2026. For the purposes of this story, summer is defined as the four month period between June and September. Rankings are based on our own calculations using average household electricity bill totals as reported by NEADA. 

Across the U.S. as a whole, summer electricity bills are forecasted to be $61 higher this year than they were in 2025. Among the eight regions where costs are projected to rise, the average household could be paying anywhere from $31 to $103 more on electricity in the summer of 2026 than they did last year. The largest increases are expected in parts of the South, where higher temperatures and widespread air conditioning use will mean greater consumer demand. 

8. West North Central Region

• Projected summer electric bill increase: -1.2% over 2025 (-$8)
• Projected summer electric bill, 2026: $651
  Average summer electric bill, 2025: $659
• Impacted states: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota

9. East North Central Region

• Projected summer electric bill increase: +4.8% over 2025 (+$31)
• Projected summer electric bill, 2026: $672
  Average summer electric bill, 2025: $641
• Impacted states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin

7. Mid Atlantic Region

• Projected summer electric bill increase: +6.8% over 2025 (+$50)
• Projected summer electric bill, 2026: $790
  Average summer electric bill, 2025: $740
• Impacted states: New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania

6. New England Region

• Projected summer electric bill increase: +7.8% over 2025 (+$59)
• Projected summer electric bill, 2026: $817
  Average summer electric bill, 2025: $758
• Impacted states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont

5. Pacific Region

• Projected summer electric bill increase: +7.9% over 2025 (+$53)
• Projected summer electric bill, 2026: $722
  Average summer electric bill, 2025: $669
• Impacted states: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington

4. East South Central Region

• Projected summer electric bill increase: +8.4% over 2025 (+$64)
• Projected summer electric bill, 2026: $824
  Average summer electric bill, 2025: $760
• Impacted states: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee

3. Mountain Region

• Projected summer electric bill increase: +8.7% over 2025 (+$56)
• Projected summer electric bill, 2026: $696
  Average summer electric bill, 2025: $640
• Impacted states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming

2. West South Central Region

• Projected summer electric bill increase: +11.5% over 2025 (+$95)
• Projected summer electric bill, 2026: $924
  Average summer electric bill, 2025: $829
• Impacted states: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas

1. South Atlantic Region

• Projected summer electric bill increase: +13.6% over 2025 (+$103)
• Projected summer electric bill, 2026: $860
  Average summer electric bill, 2025: $757
• Impacted states: Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia