U.S. electricity prices rose faster than overall inflation in the year through September, while CBS News reported that Consumer Reports survey respondents cut grocery spending to cover power bills.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said its electricity price index increased 4.4% in the 12 months through September 2026. Consumer prices overall rose 3.7%, while prices for food bought for home consumption rose 1.8%. The indexes do not show how much any individual household’s bill changed.
About one in five respondents said they had spent less on groceries to afford electricity, CBS News reported. Consumer Reports described its study as a nationally representative survey of 2,003 U.S. adults conducted in spring 2026.
CBS News also reported that roughly a quarter of respondents had chosen heating or air conditioning settings they found uncomfortable to save money. Spectrum News, reporting separately on the survey, said 81% of respondents who had stayed at the same address for three years reported higher electricity bills.
A separate survey by the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative found that 31% of more than 4,000 consumers had difficulty paying for electricity on one or more occasions in the preceding year. Among low-income households, the share was 48%, compared with 18% for households with medium or higher incomes. The surveys measured different experiences: changes in spending in one and trouble paying a bill in the other.
Consumer Reports senior director of safety and energy Sara Enright told CBS News that a surprise bill can be especially difficult for people on fixed incomes. Consumer Reports identified grid upgrades, storm and wildfire damage, volatile fuel prices, data centers and utility profit margins as possible pressures on electricity prices. Those factors vary by location, and the survey did not establish what caused any respondent’s bill to rise.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has scheduled its next consumer price report, covering October, for Nov. 10 at 8:30 a.m. ET.
