5 Ways AARP Is Working to Keep Utility Bills Affordable

We’re fighting off rate increases to keep costs within reach for people 50+

Molly Snow,

Updated March 30, 2026

AARP

Comments

Published January 15, 2026

/ Updated March 30, 2026

Rob Dobi

Key takeaways

Rising utility costs are forcing many older adults to make financial trade‑offs.
AARP is advocating for policies that make data centers pay all their energy costs.
Financial assistance programs and weatherization efforts aim to protect aging in place as costs rise.

Older adults are contending with higher prices on almost everything, and utilities are no exception.

Nearly two-thirds of older Americans say their electric bill has gone up recently, and 83 percent fear it will climb even higher, according to a 2025 survey by AARP Research.

“For adults 50 and older, affordable and reliable utilities aren’t a luxury — they’re essential to health, safety and the ability to remain in their homes as they age,” says Jenn Jones, AARP’s vice president of financial security and livable communities.

Yet rising energy costs often force older adults to make difficult trade-offs, like skipping other bills or enduring dangerous temperatures to avoid cranking the thermostat. That’s why AARP advocates for affordable utility services, to protect older adults’ quality of life nationwide.

“As energy demand grows, and new pressures like large-scale data centers strain local systems, it’s more important than ever that policymakers put consumers first and protect them,” Jones says, “especially those living on fixed or limited incomes.”

Join Our Fight to Protect Older Consumers

Here’s what you can do to help:

Sign up to become an AARP activist on financial security and other issues important to people 50 and older.
Find out more about how we’re fighting for you every day in Congress and across the country.
AARP is your fierce defender on the issues that matter to people 50-plus. Become a member or renew your membership today.

Here’s how we’re working to keep utility bills down.

1. Demanding data centers pay their own way

Data centers consume massive amounts of energy to power computer systems, and they are moving into many communities. Advocates are concerned that consumers will end up picking up the tab for their upkeep and the pressure they put on local electric grids.

Most older Americans oppose covering data center utility costs, AARP surveys show.

“We want data centers paying their fair share for the new power and all the upgrades that they need,” says Sean Voskuhl, state director of AARP Oklahoma. “They shouldn’t be saddling residential customers with yet another large rate increase, who are not to blame for it.” A number of AARP states offices are backing legislation that ensures higher electricity usage by data centers is not paid for by residential customers.

By advocating for rules that would require large energy users to be billed through their own separate electric rates, AARP offices in Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida, Colorado and elsewhere are protecting consumers’ utility bills from being hiked by data centers.

Under these proposals, data centers would be assigned their own rate category, which means they’d be paying for the electricity they use.

In Connecticut, for example, AARP supported legislation that takes a unique approach: requiring data centers to “bring their own power” instead of hooking up to the existing grid and driving up usage and prices.

Some initiatives supported by AARP also set guardrails around companies recouping funds from customers for any new construction or infrastructure upgrades.

We’re also prioritizing transparency around centers’ effects on other utilities and local resources.

Most Popular

AARP South Dakota supported a bill signed by the governor in March, which also requires data centers publicly report on their water usage, which can reach up to 300,00 gallons a day. That’s roughly the equivalent of 1,000 households, according to an estimate by the Brookings Institution.

2. Supporting bill-pay assistance during hard times

The average cost of home heating this winter rose nearly a quarter since 2021, in part due to higher electricity and gas prices and extreme weather driving up demand.

“We don’t want our members to be in a position where they have to choose between paying their electricity bill or paying for their prescriptions,” says David Azevedo, associate state director of advocacy and community engagement at AARP California. “That’s a public health crisis.”

Last year, the 43-day government shutdown delayed payment for the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps 6 million low-income households afford utilities each year. Nearly half of those households include an older adult.

AARP offices jumped into action, lobbying state leaders to green-light emergency funds and place a moratorium on service shutoffs due to missed payments during the funding lapse. Though funding was released to LIHEAP in late November, advocates are still pushing states to put contingency measures in place in case of a future funding lapse.

Meanwhile, states are still waiting for $422 million in remaining LIHEAP funds to be distributed before the end of the fiscal year.

Resources to lower your utility costs:

To find out if you qualify for energy bill pay assistance, use the LIHEAP Eligibility Tool or call the National Energy Assistance Referral hotline at 866-674-6327.
The U.S. Energy Department’s Weatherization Assistance Program may be able help make your home more energy efficient at no cost.
AARP maintains a list of resources to help prevent utility scams. If you suspect fraud, learn more here.

On March 12, a bipartisan group of senators urged the Department of Health and Human Services to disburse the funding quickly so states can prepare for summer cooling programs, help families pay outstanding winter bills and support households applying for assistance late in the season.

States like New Jersey are also seeking to protect access to their own programs that offer financial help.

For more information about getting assistance with utility bills, contact your state or tribal LIHEAP office.

3. Combating rate hikes on the ground

When utility companies propose a rate hike, AARP works with expert witnesses to present alternative plans that are fairer and more affordable for consumers.

AARP and our volunteers have also shown up in force at public comment hearings and led petitions against unfavorable rate changes.

AARP Illinois helped fight off a major gas rate hike in the state last year, which resulted in cutting a proposed $314 million increase by nearly 50 percent.

“This win was a direct result of the power of 35,000 AARP Illinois members who signed our petition and made their concerns heard,” AARP Illinois State Director Philippe Largent said in a statement.

In New Hampshire, Oklahoma and North Dakota, AARP’s efforts have staved off increases to monthly customer charges that would have made controlling your bill more difficult. AARP Maine also backed a bipartisan bill exempting residential electricity from sales tax. The state House of Representatives passed the measure on March 12.

AARP state offices have also kept discussions going with local and state leaders on the importance of keeping heating and cooling bills affordable.

“Having conversations with your local elected officials, while they aren’t the decision-makers, can certainly have an impact,” AARP Florida’s Smith says.

4. Promoting consumers’ voices

Consumers deserve a say in decisions that affect their bills. But utilities can be complex and highly technical, says Azevedo — which is why AARP leans on experts to challenge unfair practices and push for policies that protect consumers.

It’s also why states are working to make utility operations more transparent, so individuals can better understand the process and speak up when rates are on the line.

In October, AARP California successfully advocated for a law that stops investor-owned utilities from spending consumer money on advertising and political lobbying that primarily benefits shareholders. It’s a practice consumers may not know exists, but it raised red flags for Azevedo and his team when they saw a Super Bowl commercial for a utility company while they were battling another significant rate increase.

“That’s what led us down this journey with other consumer advocates here in California, to realize that this is something utilities get away with all the time,” he says.

AARP New York also fought to introduce two bills last year: One would create a state-funded utility consumer advocate; the other would create a way for organizations that represent consumers in rate cases to seek reimbursement for getting expert counsel.

It’s simply about fairness, says Bill Ferris, AARP New York’s legislative representative, since utilities can often out-muscle smaller organizations in state energy rate proceedings.

In New Hampshire, South Carolina and Georgia, AARP has also fought to protect the role of consumer advocate offices.

AARP Kentucky successfully blocked an attempt by the state’s auditor to appoint additional members to the Public Service Commission. It was a move that could have undermined the body’s nonpartisan authority and expertise in regulating utility rates.

Protecting consumers from harmful utility legislation is “a priority and pocketbook issue for older adults,” says Daniel Roe, state advocacy manager for AARP Kentucky.

5. Grants support energy-efficient homes

Simple home improvements, like adding weather stripping around doors and windows, can help keep heating costs low for the 77 percent of older adults who want to age in place.

But upgrades can be challenging for those with mobility issues or tight budgets, so AARP supports local efforts to improve livability for those most at risk.

In 2021, AARP awarded a Community Challenge Grant to Fort Collins, Colorado, with funding to host a resource fair for two mobile-home communities. The event connected residents with weatherization tools and handyman help to support lower utility bills, prevent code violations and address livability issues.

“Doing some of the internal upgrades, getting new exterior doors, even weather stripping along the base of doors and along the sides, has been an astronomical savings for some folks,” says JC Ward, who works in neighborhood services for the City of Fort Collins.

AARP’s HomeFit Guide has sparked conversations about fall hazards and other home dangers beyond weatherization.

“If you feel safe in your home, you feel comfortable, and you feel a sense of pride and ownership,” says Ward.

%{postComment}%

The key takeaways were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.

Molly Snow is a writer for AARP covering advocacy issues and state news. She also writes AARP's Today's Tips podcast. She previously worked at other news outlets, including Federal Times, McClatchy and Gannett.