Insights

U.S. households paid an average of $412 per month for electric, gas, and water utilities in 2025—up 7% from last year. JD Power’s latest quarterly analysis reveals how rising electric and gas bills are reshaping household budgets and increasing the share of wallet devoted to essential services.

This Utilities Intelligence Report dives into key data points gathered from JD Power studies and proprietary market data to offer a data-driven perspective on the biggest issues confronting utilities as we head into 2026.

In response to the increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events, JD Power expanded its U.S. Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study methodology to better understand the impact of weather-related power outages and service disruptions on customers. This Utilities Intelligence Report dives into key data points gathered from JD Power studies to chart the scope of power disruptions throughout the first half of 2025 and identify strategies utilities can use to help mitigate the negative effects of extreme weather on their customers. Data collected in this report is from 2025 and includes weather events from 2024 and 2025.

As part of its ongoing analysis of customer experience with residential utilities, JD Power tracks the average prices customers pay for electric, gas and water services nationwide. This average price data is tracked in four waves over the course of the year, which are roughly in line with calendar quarters. The following are key highlights from the Q2 2025 analysis.

JD Power has been tracking customer sentiment with all aspects of utility service and delivery for the past two decades, evaluating everything from customer satisfaction with the price, reliability and service of local utilities to opinions on sustainability and clean-air initiatives. Based on those accumulated insights, below are JD Power predictions for the biggest trends to watch in the year ahead.

It’s been impossible to escape the headlines about stratospheric electricity bills. According to JD Power data, the average residential electric bill increased to $182 per month in 2024, a record high. It’s the latest in a steady incline that has seen prices surge 27% since 2021. Accordingly, the level of customer satisfaction for utility customers has fallen precipitously during that same period.

The nation’s electric, gas and water utilities are headed for a referendum on price, reliability, and sustainability in 2024. As we come out of a year that saw record-high prices and record-high demand, there are currently 63 electric and 52 gas rate cases pending in 37 states and the District of Columbia[1].

Most electric utility customers in the United States acknowledge that climate change is a real phenomenon, but few believe there is much that can be done about it, according to new JD Power research into consumer awareness, support, and engagement with utility sustainability efforts. Beneath the nationwide average, however, variation exists on a state-by-state basis.