A survey firm has released a report on public reaction to electricity prices, which suggest that rising electricity costs are due to 'data center demand' and 'companies pursuing profits.'
In the United States, where household energy costs are
Many Americans hold utility companies responsible for rising home energy bills | Pew Research Center
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/05/05/many-americans-hold-utility-companies-responsible-for-their-rising-home-energy-bills/
The Pew Research Center conducted a survey of 3,524 adults living in the United States from March 16 to 22, 2026. Half of the respondents were randomly selected and asked about rising home energy costs, while the other half were asked about rising home insurance premiums .
The survey revealed that in each of the census-designated regions of the country—the Northeast, Midwest, South, and West—at least 70% of adults reported that their home energy prices had increased significantly or slightly in recent years. In the graph below, the light blue represents the percentage of respondents who reported a significant increase, while the dark blue represents the percentage who reported a slight increase. In particular, over half of residents in the Northeast reported a significant increase, at 56%.
In fact, data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that among the 15 states with the highest rates of increase in household electricity prices between 2021 and 2025, seven states in the Northeast, including New York, were included. Furthermore, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York, also in the Northeast, were among the 15 states with the highest rates of increase in residential natural gas prices during the same period, indicating that they are being significantly affected by rising energy costs.
According to the EIA, across the United States, household electricity prices rose by 27% and household natural gas prices rose by 26% between 2021 and 2025. In most states, household electricity and natural gas prices increased by more than 15% during this period.
The following graph summarizes the results of a survey asking people who answered that their household energy costs have increased in recent years about the main reasons. The light blue indicates the percentage of people who answered that it was the 'main reason,' the dark blue indicates the percentage who answered that it was 'partially a reason,' the ochre indicates that it was 'not a reason,' and the gray indicates the percentage who answered that they 'don't know.' At the top of the graph is 'because power companies are trying to make more profit,' which was the most common reason cited by 64% of respondents. 'Because data centers consume a lot of electricity' was cited as the main reason by 43%, followed by 'the impact of the costs of updating and expanding the power grid' at 40%. On the other hand, government regulations, extreme weather, and household electricity usage were not considered to be major causes.
According to the Pew Research Center, people who reported a 'significant increase' in their household energy costs were more likely to cite specific reasons than those who reported a 'slight increase.' For example, 74% of those who reported a significant increase cited power companies trying to increase their profits as the main reason, compared to only 52% of those who reported a slight increase.
The specific survey response data can be viewed in the following PDF file.
2026 PEW RESEARCH CENTER'S AMERICAN TRENDS PANEL Wave 189: Energy issues March 16-22, 2026
(PDF file) https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/05/SR_26.05.01_home-insurance-energy_W189_topline_FINAL.pdf
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