Feeling the heat? Higher AC bills are coming
If it feels like your power bill has been creeping up, brace yourself – the worst may still be ahead.
New projections show homeowners across the country will pay more to stay cool this summer, and in the heat-heavy Lowcountry, that jump could be even more noticeable.
For residents on Daniel Island and along Clements Ferry Road, where humidity builds fast and air conditioning quickly becomes essential, the increase is expected to hit close to home.
The National Energy Assistance Directors Association estimates the average U.S. household will spend $778 on electricity between June and September – about $61 more than last year, an 8.5% increase, and nearly 37% higher than in 2020.
In the South Atlantic region, which includes South Carolina, the numbers climb even higher. Households are projected to spend around $860 this summer, up from $757 last year – a jump of more than $100. That’s roughly a 13.5% increase, outpacing much of the rest of the country. By comparison, Midwestern households are expected to see summer costs rise by only about $30.
“Families are squeezed from both directions,” Mark Wolfe, the association’s executive director, said in a news release. “They are paying more for electricity, and they need more of it to stay safe during increasingly hot summers.”
That combination, rising prices and rising temperatures, is expected to hit Southern states hardest, where air conditioning use is widespread and often unavoidable.
On Daniel Island, some residents say they’re already bracing for what’s ahead.
“It used to be that winter was the expensive season, but now it feels like there’s no break,” said Clements Ferry resident Thomas Hunt. “You almost don’t want to turn the AC down, but you also don’t want to see the bill.”
Another DI homeowner, Lauren Hall, said her family has started adjusting daily routines to compensate. “We’re closing blinds earlier, running fans more, anything to avoid cranking the AC. But realistically, once it hits August, you don’t have much of a choice.”
Behind the rising costs are several overlapping factors. The Edison Electric Institute points to surging electricity demand, extreme weather, new technologies and widespread electrification as key drivers, with utilities expected to invest more than $1.1 trillion in grid improvements over the next five years.
“We’ve got to build a lot of infrastructure to meet this incredible growing demand that’s going to benefit our economy, benefit our communities, and help the United States lead in the technologies of the future,” EEI Vice Chair Chris Womack said during an April 14 event with White House and congressional energy leaders.
A February study commissioned by the organization found that while electricity prices have remained stable in many areas, increases in “a few states and regions” have pushed national averages higher, attributing those spikes to market shifts, policy changes and other factors beyond utilities’ control. “In general, the utilities have managed controllable costs effectively,” the report said.
Still, the financial strain is mounting. One in six American households is behind on energy bills, with total utility debt expected to reach approximately $23 billion by the end of the year. With home energy costs rising at more than double the rate of inflation, assistance agencies are urging additional federal funding, but for now, Lowcountry residents are preparing for another expensive summer just to stay cool.