1 in 5 Americans weigh cutting food to pay power bills: Survey. About one in five Americans have cut back on groceries or switched to cheaper food to pay power bills, or looked into doing so, a Consumer Reports survey of 2,003 adults found. US home electricity prices rose 6.9% in January-July 2026 from a year earlier, EIA data show. HHS released $3.6 billion in heating aid to states on October 9.