Consumers are feeling pinched by rising energy prices and many lack important knowledge about their bills and the changing energy landscape, according to a new Compass Poll by Embold Research. The survey of 2,160 registered voters nationwide was fielded August 26 – 29, 2025 and explored Americans’ concerns about the cost of energy, their energy priorities, and their views on different energy types, growing energy demand, and the energy provisions in the OBBBA (toplines, crosstabs).
This post is the first in a weekly series on energy, which we will post throughout the month of September.
Energy bills are going up, and they’re a major source of budget stress for households
The survey found that 7 in 10 American households saw their energy bills increase over the past year, with 31% reporting that their bills “increased a lot” and 39% saying they “increased some.” Only 20% saw bills remain stable, and just 5% saw a decline.
Consumers in the Northeast and Midwest were most affected, with 77% in the Northeast and 73% in the Midwest reporting higher bills this year. The impact was slightly lower in the West, where nearly 2 in 3 respondents (64%) reported owing more than last year.
The widespread experience of higher energy bills also translates into widespread concerns about how to pay them. Inflation across the economy since the COVID-19 pandemic has left most Americans worried about the cost of basic necessities, and energy is no exception. While food and groceries top the list of financial concerns (58% express significant worry), healthcare (52%), housing (51%), energy (49%), and transportation (48%) are all close behind.
Most survey respondents indicated that smaller energy bills would really help their household budgets. A majority (55%) say that cutting their monthly energy bill in half would be a “major help” for their personal budget, and another 29% say it would “help some.” The potential impact of lower bills also varies substantially by income. In lower-income households earning less than $50,000 per year, almost 2 in 3 respondents (65%) say a 50% reduction in their bill would be a “major help,” while 23% say it would “help some.” Yet even many higher-income Americans say that lower energy costs would really help them out. Two in three (67%) respondents with incomes over $150,000 say that cutting their energy bill in half would be a “major help” or would “help some.”
Gaps in understanding of energy bills and renewables may pose barriers to lower prices
While Americans are certainly feeling the impact of higher energy prices, this survey also reveals gaps in their understanding of their energy bills and awareness of recent changes in the energy landscape that may be standing in the way of lower energy bills.
Although most Americans pay close attention to their energy bills – with more than 3 in 4 reporting that they review them either “very” (36%) or “somewhat” (40%) carefully each month – only a minority have a clear understanding of how their utility company charges them and why their bills vary from month to month. When asked how well they understand ‘How your utility charges you for the energy you use’, only 37% reported that they understand this “extremely” or “very” well, while nearly 1 in 4 (23%) admit to understanding how they are charged “not too well” or “not at all well.” Understanding of the reasons behind monthly bill fluctuations is just slightly better, with 41% claiming to understand these “extremely well” or “very well” and 21% reporting poor understanding.
That about 6 in 10 energy consumers lack a strong grasp of how they’re charged and why their bills fluctuate represents a significant barrier to achieving both relief for households and broader grid modernization goals. On the household side, consumers who don’t understand time-of-use rates, peak demand charges, or seasonal pricing are probably less likely to adjust their usage patterns to reduce their bills. And without understanding how energy efficiency improvements to their homes could translate into savings, consumers may be less likely to invest in energy-saving appliances, insulation, or behavioral changes that could save them money. Consumers may also be vulnerable to costly billing errors: if they don’t understand normal billing patterns, it will be difficult to identify excess charges.
In the aggregate, this lack of understanding may also pose challenges for energy utilities and the broader energy system. For instance, demand response programs rely on consumers understanding their financial incentives, such as receiving credits for reducing usage during peak periods or penalties for high consumption. If consumers don’t understand these pricing structures, these programs may not achieve their grid management objectives. In turn, energy utilities may need to build more generation capacity and grid infrastructure to meet peak demand, costs that get passed on to all customers.
In addition, many Americans aren’t yet aware of the potential for large-scale investments in new solar, wind, and battery storage to drive down energy costs. Currently, the least expensive and the fastest way to add new energy capacity to the electrical grid – a key to bringing costs down in an era of growing demand – is through the deployment of renewable resources including solar, wind, and battery storage. Yet only about 1 in 3 voters (32%) know that renewable sources are now the cheapest way to produce new energy. About one in four think nuclear energy is the least expensive, while 17% believe that fossil fuels are least expensive and 18% are unsure. What’s more, beliefs about this question are highly polarized along partisan lines. While a majority of Democrats (54%) and the plurality of Independents (32%) are aware that renewables can produce new energy for less than other sources, only 11% of Republicans believe this. Nearly 2 in 3 Republicans think the cheapest source for new energy is nuclear (35%) or fossil fuels (31%).
Helping more Americans understand the implications of the rapid decline in the cost of renewable energy is vital to building the political support needed to take advantage of the opportunities these technologies afford. Voters who aren’t aware of the cost advantages of renewables may be more likely to oppose renewable projects in their communities or support politicians who block renewable infrastructure, forcing utilities to rely on more expensive alternatives that keep prices higher for everyone. But with so many Americans feeling the pain of higher energy bills, trusted messengers who can break through about clean energy’s cost advantages – especially to Republicans and Independents – may find them more willing to listen.
Polling was conducted online by Embold Research using Dynamic Online Sampling and text-to-web to attain a representative sample of registered voters nationwide. The survey was fielded August 26-29, 2025, with a sample of 2,160 registered voters and a modeled margin of error of ±2.3%. Post-stratification weighting was performed on age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, region, urbanicity, and 2024 presidential vote.