Rising energy costs force budget cuts for 34% of Americans, research shows

More than a third of Americans say rising energy costs are forcing them to make sacrifices with their budgets, according to researchers at Lending Tree.

Researchers found more than 34 percent of Americans say they’ve cut back or skipped necessary expenses, at least once, to pay their monthly utility bill over the last year.

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Nearly one out of four people said they’ve kept their home at an unhealthy temperature because they couldn’t pay their utility bill.

Researchers said inflation is the main driver behind soaring energy prices. They also broke those results down by state.

• Mississippi barely edged out Alabama for the top spot, 44 percent of people in both of those states say they cut back on necessary spending to pay a utility bill.
• Oklahoma, Louisiana and Wyoming closed out the top 5
• Georgia ranked 9th
• Florida came in at number 21

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If you or someone you know is having trouble paying your power bill, there is help.

JEA has a list of community resources that are available for families struggling to pay. For a complete list, head to JEA’s website.