Federal Report Reveals 13.4 Million Electricity Shutoffs in 2024, Highlighting Financial Distress
A federal report has disclosed that utility companies in the United States shut off electricity to households 13.4 million times in 2024, alongside 1.7 million gas disconnections. This data, collected for the first time under a new federal mandate, reveals a significant level of financial distress among U.S. households. The report indicates that about half of the states do not require utilities to report disconnection statistics, which has previously obscured the full extent of the issue. The Center for Biological Diversity, which advocated for the data collection, noted that the actual number of shutoffs far exceeded previous estimates. The report also highlighted that disconnections were most frequent in Southern states, where factors such as high poverty rates, rising energy costs, and minimal consumer protections contribute to the problem. 
