Oklahoma woman gets $1,340.96 shutoff notice as US utility bills climb
The gist
Oklahoma resident Genia Weitz, who relies on an oxygen machine, received a $1,340.96 disconnection notice.
About one in six US households is behind on utility bills.
How it unfolded
- Sep 2024Electricity prices rose 2.4% year over year, natural gas 2%, and water, sewer and trash collection 4.8%, per Consumer Price Index data.
- 2025About 400,000 Pennsylvania households experienced utility shutoffs, a nearly 14% increase from the previous year, per the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
- Mar 2026Big Tech signed President Trump's Ratepayer Protection Pledge, promising to pay for all new grid infrastructure upgrades needed to service their data centers.