Summer electric bills sizzle as the cost of cooling climbs [View all]

Source: NPR

May 23, 2026 6:00 AM ET


Temperatures are climbing, and so is the price of electricity. That's a one-two punch that could result in sharply higher utility bills this summer.

"Climate scientists think this could be the hottest summer on record or at least close to it," says Mark Wolfe, who heads the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA).

"So families need to use more of an increasingly expensive product to stay cool this summer. And that's going to be tough."

NEADA is projecting that electricity bills will be 8.5% higher this summer than last, on average, with residents in some Southern states seeing even bigger increases.

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2026/05/23/nx-s1-5823767/summer-heat-electric-bills-cost