Despite her efforts, her monthly gas and electricity bills last year always topped $500, and one month reached $975. “If they keep rising, who is going to be able to pay their bills?” Sims-El asked. “Certainly not me, not anyone except the super-wealthy.”SacrificesSims-El said she has had to make lifestyle changes to cope with her energy costs. Halfway across the country, Samantha Lott, a resident of Denton, Texas, has found herself tailoring her shopping habits to cope with rising energy costs, too. It also attempted to eliminate the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps 6 million low-income Americans with their energy bills each year.

Source: The Guardian January 17, 2026 18:01 UTC