Americans Are Facing Utility Rate Hikes in the New Year Thanks to Trump and Republicans

According to the Energy Information Administration, household electricity costs have increased 13% under Trump 

Washington, DC – As Trump focuses on initiating conflicts abroad and states across the country face a record cold snap, utility bills are continuing to skyrocket thanks to Trump’s reckless energy policies. Trump has threatened or canceled 324 clean energy projects or companies, taking energy options off the grid as demand soars. Just in the last 48 hours, Americans in California, Illinois, and North Carolina learned they will face higher electricity bills in the new year. These 2026 rate hikes come after 49 states and the District of Columbia saw rate hikes announced in 2025.

California

 [1/20/26] KUSI: Another SDG&E price hike is coming, here’s how much bills will go up

San Diego Gas & Electric is expected to increase its rates starting in April after the California Public Utilities Commission approved it on Thursday.

The increase is intended to repay the utilities commission for millions of dollars in spending by SDG&E in 2019 and 2022 to reduce wildfire risk in the county.

Most San Diegans saw their bills increase by 7.4% on average on Jan. 1, and now bills are expected to rise an average of $5 a month starting in April…

Illinois

[1/19/26] WTTW: Peoples Gas and Nicor Are Seeking Rate Hikes. Here’s What to Know

Your monthly heating bill could be going up.

That’s if the Illinois Commerce Commission approves a $202 million rate increase for Peoples Gas, which supplies natural gas to nearly 900,000 Chicagoans. The company said it would mean a monthly bill increase of about $10 to $11.

Meanwhile, Nicor Gas, which has 2.3 million customers in northern Illinois, is requesting a rate hike of $221 million. The company said the increase would add less than $6 to monthly bills…

North Carolina

[1/19/26] WBTV: Piedmont Natural Gas customers in Charlotte upset with increase in bills

As winter weather persists in the Tar Heel state, neighbors in Charlotte are complaining about what they say are sudden increases in their monthly Piedmont Natural Gas bills.

“My jaw dropped and I was just kind of in shock,” said Kelly McWeenie, whose recent bill went from $300 to $600 even as her family tried to conserve energy. “We really hadn’t been using any more heat than normal. We had held off on turning the heat on when we could.”…