12 Facts Of Energy Affordability ☃️

December 15, 2025

We have reached that time of year where everyone is doing their last-minute bustling and shopping for the season. As we all prepare to wind down and head home for the holidays to celebrate with family, friends and loved ones, the last thing on our minds is the cost of energy and the policies that drive it. But, even when it’s not top of mind, energy is so important to nearly every facet of our lives.

So, as we count down these final days taking us into the holidays and new year, TEA is also counting down the 12 facts about energy affordability that make it so important to American families during this festive time of year—and year round.

Energy underlies every part of our lives, so when energy costs are low that makes room in our budgets for so many other things.

1. Affordable natural gas has saved an average family of four $2,500 a year, and American families have saved $125 billion over the last decade because of affordable natural gas.
2. Households that use natural gas for heating, cooking and other appliances save an average $1,132 per year compared to homes using electricity for such appliances.
3. American businesses have saved more than $500 billion over the last decade because of affordable natural gas, allowing them to pass on savings to their customers as their costs remain low and steady.
4. Natural gas is 3.5 times more affordable than electricity as a residential energy source for the same amount of delivered energy.
5. Gasoline prices have finally come down and we are even seeing gasoline that cost less than $3 per gallon for the first time in a long time. But, almost as important as low prices is the consistency of those prices. Just like energy prices at homes and businesses underly the cost of so many other things, when gasoline prices are low and predictable it saves money on all the travel and transport we need to support our everyday lives.

Affordable and reliable energy does more than save us money on our electric bills and when filling up at the gas station. There are hidden benefits that effect both our health and happiness.

6. Affordable natural gas and petroleum don’t just fuel our lives through energy. They are actually ingredients in thousands of products we use every single day.
7. A study concluded that “the drop in natural gas prices in the late 2000s, induced largely by the boom in shale gas production, averted 11,000 winter deaths per year” in the U.S.

Affordable energy sources like American natural gas help keep our energy prices low. But, on the other hand, politicized investments in “green” energy sources that just don’t work have driven up our energy bills in a way that everyday Americans just can’t afford.

8. A “zero-emission” power grid would cost the U.S. $4.5 trillion. That cost would equate to $35,000 per U.S. household, or nearly $2,000 a year over the course of a 20-year plan.
9. A zero-emissions transportation system could cost an average American household from $9,000 to $20,000 through 2029.
10. Since 2015, the estimated cost of federal subsidies for “green” energy like wind and solar have increased 21 times.

Most of us aren’t thinking about voting and politics when we open our electricity bills, but they are invariably connected. The leaders we elect and the policies they make directly affect the costs shouldered by American families and businesses.

11. In total, 86% of states with electricity prices above the national average in the continental U.S. are reliably blue, having voted for the Democratic nominee for president in the 2020 and 2024 elections. In contrast, 80% of the 10 states with the lowest electricity prices are reliably red, defined as having voted for the Republican candidate in these contests.
12. Nearly 60 million Americans consider energy affordability a factor when they decide who they will support in an election.

The good news is that we are on the right track. As we listed, gasoline prices have leveled out, allowing families to plan their holiday travels. And, our national energy policies have shifted back to focus on the traditional energy sources that have built and fueled this country. But, much like the Grinch that stole Christmas in the old holiday classic, the green-at-any-cost crowd is still at the ready to steal the progress we’ve made and take us backward.

That’s why in the New Year, everyday Americans deserve a gift from our leaders through passing the national Affordable, Reliable, Clean Energy Security Act that would create simple and straightforward definitions in law for what is affordable, reliable and clean energy. Introduced by Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12), this bill will protect every American’s access to their energy birthright. And, the best part, this legislation is simple and built on one of our favorite things here at TEA—good, old-fashioned common sense, not empty green promises and political slogans.

So, from all of us at TEA, that is our wish of the season for you and yours. Have a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Blessed New Year!