Rising utility bills add to financial pressure on New Jersey households ahead of midterms

Yeah, so on this chilly morning, you might be turning on the heat just a week after a power grid emergency was declared as many cranked up the AC during unusually warm weather. It is the cost of cooling, heating, and powering homes that's putting pressure on households. A Century Foundation study found the average monthly utility bill hit $280 earlier this year. That is up 12% from the end of 2024. Nationwide, average utility debt has reached $817. Bank of America also reported a 5% increase in summer utility payments, driven in part by cooling demand and potentially rising electricity use from data centers. The Century Foundation expects utility costs to keep climbing. This is people who are struggling month over month, unable to pay to keep their homes heated or to keep them cool in the summer. And as a result, it's turning into debt that they're struggling to pay off over time. And so you may remember Governor Sherrill promised to lower utility costs on day one, declaring a state of emergency and freezing rate hikes. She also signed a law requiring data centers to report their water and energy use while expanding New Jersey's nuclear and solar power. Certainly a lot of opinions surrounding utilities. Election day is Tuesday, November 3rd. For more information on those top races across the state, we have a guide posted at news12.com and also on the News 12 app. In the studio, Lauren Du, News 12 New Jersey.