Electricity bills force 1 in 5 Americans to cut back on food, Consumer Reports finds

October 21, 2026 / 7:00 AM EDT / CBS News

About one in five Americans say they have had to cut back on groceries to afford their electricity bills, while roughly a quarter of consumers are turning down their heating or air conditioning to uncomfortable levels to lower their energy costs, according to a new survey from Consumer Reports.

About 80% of people who have lived in the same home for at least three years say their electricity bills have increased over that time, according to a national survey of more than 2,000 adults by the nonprofit advocacy group. The largest share, 28%, said their bills had surged between 20% and 49% over that period.

Electricity prices across major U.S. cities have jumped 14% over the last three years, according to federal data.

Rising utility costs are worsening the affordability crunch facing millions of American families, who are facing sharply higher gasoline and diesel prices amid higher oil costs due to the war in Iran. The survey found that consumers are cutting back where they can, such as switching to less expensive foods or spending less on discretionary items, to cope with rising electricity bills.

"We're hearing a lot of…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/moneywatch/