Americans now sacrificing food to cover their utility bills

Who needs dinner when you can have air conditioning?

Now, in the thick of a sticky-hot summer, one in three Americans is cutting back on their grocery budgets to afford their utility bills in this languishing heat, according to new data from energy comparison platform PowerSetter that The Post received exclusively.

Following the second-hottest June on record, the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) reported 75% of Americans expect their cooling costs to increase as the season progresses.

The study found some residents need to borrow money in order to pay the bills. M-Production – stock.adobe.com

Of the 2,000 households polled, 73% said their utilities would strain their finances and 51% saved money to prepare. One in 10, however, plan to borrow cash from friends and family to afford them.

The situation is so dire that one in five respondents canceled their summer getaways and one in three are taking fewer nights out on the town.

“It isn’t the news we wanted but it’s probably worth facing up to the fact that higher utility bills aren’t going to disappear anytime soon — and certainly not this summer,” said PowerSetter founder and CEO Mark Feygin.

To save some cash, some people are hopping into a cold shower to stay cool. eshana_blue – stock.adobe.com

While some folks sacrifice necessities, many are taking energy-saving measures to reduce costs. More than half of those surveyed switched to more efficient light bulbs, 40% unplug out-of-use appliances and 36% use natural ventilation methods. One in 10 do it the old-fashioned way by hopping in cold showers to cool down.

Consumers should remember that there are numerous utility companies to choose from, thanks to the rise in renewable resources and changes in state regulations, Feygin said. It can pay to shop around for a lower rate.

“You wouldn’t purchase the first car or cell phone you saw, so why do that when it comes to your utility supplier?” he said.