Blog Articles

Just as co-ops brought electricity to broad swaths of America, they are now answering the call to provide broadband internet to 6.3 million rural American households, a service that has become a ubiquitous part of our everyday life.

An estimated 179 million Americans are at risk to lose utility service as moratoriums expire and unpaid utility bills come due. Unpaid electric and gas bills are expected to total more than $24 billion by the end of the year, a debt that is four times larger than last year’s. Indicators signal that the economic shock isn’t yet over – a Census Bureau survey reveals that one-third of Americans continue to struggle to pay their bills.

Utilities, including energy and water, represent more than 20 percent of a low-income household’s monthly expenditures, a significantly higher portion than that of middle class wage earners. Tilting the balance even more is the inability of many low-income households to reach energy equity with their better-paid neighbors.

The energy industry is transforming from the bottom up, and consumers expect personalized recommendations that echoes their experiences with companies such as Netflix and Amazon.