A first-of-its-kind federal report shows utilities disconnected residential electric service 13.5 million times for unpaid bills in 2024, and residential gas service 1.6 million times — even as the industry posted record profits.

The dataset, released last week by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), marked the first time comprehensive, nationwide disconnection data has been made publicly available, offering an unprecedented look at how often customers lose access to essential energy service. The data arrives at a time of rising bills and strong financial returns for investor-owned utilities.

The new data fills a major gap in transparency. In 22 states, utilities are not required to report household disconnections. Under new federal rules that went into effect April 2023, utilities serving more than 2,000 customers must now report annual shutoffs for nonpayment, improving transparency in a system where data has historically been incomplete or unavailable.

“This federal data is the most sobering portrait we have of the country’s energy affordability challenges,” said Jean Su of the Center for Biological Diversity, which pushed for the national survey after inconsistent state laws limited monitoring of disconnections during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Earlier research by the Center, along with the Energy and Policy Institute and BailoutWatch, revealed that utilities carried out at least 5.7 million electricity shutoffs from January 2020 through October 2022 across the 30 states and Washington, D.C., where data was available. 

The new disconnection data almost didn’t come to light. The American Gas Association and the Edison Electric Institute, which represent investor-owned utilities serving the majority of U.S. customers, urged federal officials to abandon the survey, arguing it was unnecessary and burdensome. The EIA moved forward, noting that no comprehensive public dataset on utility disconnections previously existed.

The EIA dataset does not capture the full number of U.S. households struggling to pay their utility bills, but it helps illustrate the scale of the problem. Utilities also issued approximately 94.9 million final disconnect notices to residential electric customers in 2024, and 27.1 million final notices for gas disconnections, according to the EIA data, signaling just how many more households were teetering on the edge of losing service.

While millions of Americans struggled to keep their lights on, investor-owned utility companies profited more than $52 billion in 2024, up almost $3.5 billion from 2023. Separate data underscores the broader affordability challenge: A February 2026 report from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association found that low-income households spend an average of 8.6% of their income on energy – nearly three times the burden on other households – and that roughly 21.5 million U.S. households, or about 1 in 6, are behind on their energy bills.

Shutoffs were concentrated in the South, where limited protections exist

The EIA data shows that disconnections are heavily concentrated in the South, where state policies provide the fewest protections for customers who fall behind on their utility bills, and where households face higher energy burdens and economic inequality. Southern states accounted for approximately 71% of the electricity disconnections in 2024.

The top 10 states by total disconnections are largely concentrated in the South, with Texas, Florida, and Oklahoma among those reporting the highest number of shutoffs for electricity, and Texas and Georgia leading for gas. Adjusting for the number of customers reveals an even clearer pattern: Southern states consistently rank among the highest in disconnection rates, indicating a disproportionate impact on households.

Measuring disconnection rates rather than just the total number of disconnections shows how widespread shutoffs are relative to the number of customers served. States across the Southeast report some of the highest monthly disconnection rates, reinforcing that the problem  is driven by underlying affordability challenges and limited consumer protections.

State-level examples illustrate how policy decisions and rising costs intersect. In Texas, which reported the highest number of disconnections, protections are limited. Customers can delay shutoffs for medical reasons, but only temporarily and with physician certification, even as electricity costs there are projected to rise significantly in the coming years. 

In Florida, regulators tracked disconnections during the COVID-19 pandemic but later discontinued reporting, limiting the public’s view of the shutoff crisis. From January 2020 to September 2021, Florida’s investor-owned utilities disconnected power almost 1.5 million times. By 2024, that number rose to 2.2 million, and included shutoffs performed by publicly-owned utilities as well. 

Florida Power and Light disconnected power to nearly 1.3 million homes in 2024, when state regulators approved its request for higher rates – the largest rate hike in U.S. history. State regulators also granted rate increases to Duke Energy and Tampa Electric (TECO) that year. TECO’s rate increase is currently on appeal before the Florida Supreme Court.

In Oklahoma, which ranks among the highest in disconnection rates, state lawmakers are now challenging regulators over recent rate hikes, arguing customers have been overcharged.

In Alabama, customers of Alabama Power’s monopoly utility pay about 45% higher rates than customers of public power entities in the north of the state on the Tennessee Valley Authority system. Alabama now has some of the highest electric bills in the contiguous U.S., and efforts to expand protections and require greater transparency have stalled in the state legislature.

New federal data comes as LIHEAP faces renewed threats

The release of the EIA disconnection data comes as federal support for energy affordability faces renewed pressure. For the sixth time, the Trump administration has proposed eliminating the $4.1 billion Low-Income Household Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps millions of households pay utility bills and avoid disconnection. It argues that states already have policies in place to protect customers.

Even where protections exist, they are often limited. Virginia, for example, enacted new safeguards in 2024 to restrict disconnections during extreme temperatures. However, the state still ranks among those with the highest number of shutoffs, underscoring the limits of partial reforms.

While LIHEAP does not address the underlying drivers of rising energy costs, it remains a critical backstop for households at risk of losing service. In many states, a utility disconnection can trigger eviction, compounding the financial and housing instability facing low-income households. 

Utilities, community organizations, and members of Congress are now calling for continued funding of the program. “Access to home energy is not a luxury – it is essential for the health and safety of families,” they wrote in a March 13 letter to the leaders of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services.

Regulators have the tools – and now the data – to act

The EIA disconnections report makes clear how many households are struggling to afford basic energy services and allows state utility regulators to further examine the data and protect customers. This comes as utilities are projecting to spend $1.4 trillion over the next five years to address an aging power grid and meet rising demand.

State regulators can strengthen consumer protections by requiring utilities to offer more affordable rate structures, carry flexible bill payment plans, ensure expanded access to bill assistance, and eliminate shutoffs.

More targeted solutions are also available. Some jurisdictions have adopted tiered or income-based rates designed to keep energy burdens at manageable levels. Others have explored “lifeline” programs that guarantee a minimum level of electricity service, similar to approaches used internationally.

But effective policymaking requires more than national-level data. Regulators can require utilities to report detailed, consistent information on disconnections – including when they occur, who they affect, and where they are concentrated, down to the ZIP code. That level of transparency would allow policymakers to evaluate whether existing protections are working, identify patterns of harm, and more effectively target relief.

Header image licensed from the Associated Press.