Category: Cost of Living
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Austin Energy’s average electric bill is up about $3.66 a month since October 1
Austin Energy customers are paying a little more for electricity since October 1, when the city-owned utility’s new rates took effect. The utility says the average customer bill will increase by around $3.66 per month, which works out to about $43.92 over a full year. The increase is smaller than the headline percentage suggests, because…
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Trump is taking Canadian plywood, some paper products and refrigeration equipment off his tariff list and adding carpets and valves on October 30
President Trump has signed a proclamation that changes which Canadian goods are hit by his tariffs, and the new list takes effect Friday, October 30, 2026. Plywood sheets, some paper products, certain machinery and refrigeration equipment, and certain packing crates and boxes come off the list. Certain valves, carpets, waste products and other items go…
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Trump’s HUD cut public housing tenants’ late-rent notice to as little as 14 days
Public housing tenants who fall behind on rent can now be given as little as 14 days of written notice before an eviction for nonpayment. HUD Secretary Scott Turner signed an interim final rule that revoked the 30-day notice requirement, and the change has been in effect since March 30, 2026. Tenants in some other…
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Trump’s HUD could let housing agencies require up to 40 hours a week of work from voucher and public housing adults 18 to 61 under a pending proposal
The Department of Housing and Urban Development has proposed a rule that would let local housing agencies require adults in public housing and voucher programs to work up to 40 hours a week. It is a proposal only. No housing agency can impose the requirement unless HUD finishes the rule, and families would hear from…
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Food stamp shoppers in Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina and Virginia lose the ability to buy sugary drinks with SNAP on November 1, USDA’s waiver list shows
Four states are set to stop SNAP from paying for sugary drinks on November 1, 2026. USDA’s list of food-restriction waivers shows Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina and Virginia all carrying that target date, so food stamp shoppers there will no longer be able to buy soda and other sweetened beverages with their EBT cards.…
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Kentucky’s heating subsidy runs only in November and December before crisis aid opens
Kentucky households that want help paying for heat have a short window for the regular benefit. The state’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, runs its heating subsidy only in November and December, and a separate crisis component does not open until early January. The program is federally funded, and the Cabinet for…
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PG&E customers’ average bill could rise $37 a month in 2027 under pending requests, the state’s ratepayer advocate projects
California’s ratepayer advocate says the bill of the average Pacific Gas and Electric customer could climb $37 a month, or 16%, in 2027 if the utility gets everything it has asked for. The projection comes from the Public Advocates Office, the state office that represents utility customers, and it adds up several pending requests rather…
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Duke Energy Carolinas home bills would rise $9.39 a month January 1 if approved
Customers of Duke Energy Carolinas in North Carolina would pay $9.39 more a month starting January 1, 2027, if state regulators approve a settlement the utility reached with the state’s Public Staff. The rate case is still pending, and the new rates are not in effect. The figure is for a typical home, and the…
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Propane for home heating averaged $2.689 a gallon October 19, $3.872 in New England
Homes that heat with propane are starting the cold months paying more than a year ago. The U.S. Energy Information Administration put the average residential price at $2.689 a gallon on October 19, up 5.6 cents in a week and 25.6 cents from the same week in 2025. Where a house sits decides how hard…
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Home heating oil averaged $6.190 a gallon October 19, up $2.66 in a year
Households that heat with oil are starting the season at a much higher price. The U.S. Energy Information Administration put the national average for residential heating oil at $6.190 a gallon on October 19, up $2.664 from the same week a year earlier and up 5.2 cents from the week before. The figures, published Wednesday,…