Americans are already feeling the strain of higher utility costs, and a new American Home Shield survey suggests the AI boom may be making the problem worse in places where data centers are taking root.
AHS surveyed 1,003 U.S. consumers in December 2025 and found that 88% said their utilities had gone up, 49% felt overwhelmed by the cost, and the average electric bill was $187. More than half (57%) are worried about the financial stability of these rate hikes. The company also found that 14% of respondents lived in an area with data centers, and among that group, an eye-opening 94% reported utility increases, while their average electric bill was $68 higher than the rest of the country.
The AHS survey is a small glimpse into how the electricity demands behind the AI revolution are becoming impossible to ignore. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said in January that it expects U.S. electricity use to grow by 1% in 2026 and 3% in 2027, with the surge driven largely by large computing centers, including data centers. The EIA also said this would mark the strongest four-year growth in U.S. electricity demand since 2000.
The International Energy Agency says the United States already has the highest per-capita data center electricity consumption in the world. That figure is projected to more than double by the end of the decade. The IEA also says data centers are concentrated in specific locations, which can make grid integration more challenging even when national demand growth looks manageable on paper.
AI Usage Is Booming, And Backlash Is Rising
Beyond household energy usage, AI is now part of a much bigger public conversation. Americans are using AI more than ever, but they are still uneasy about what it means for privacy.
A recent survey by Howdy found that 72% of workers use AI on the job, 75% trust AI outputs, and 87% use AI in their personal lives. But that trust drops quickly when the stakes get higher: 62% do not trust AI with sensitive tasks, and 1 in 6 workers said AI has already caused a major problem at work. In addition to privacy, the survey found that Americans are uneasy about the reliability and the broader social impact of the technology.
AI has also crept deeper into streaming itself. Netflix already uses generative AI for special effects, including de-aging characters and helping create visual scenes, while Roku’s founder says fully AI-generated movies could be on the horizon. YouTube has expanded its AI tools to smart TVs and streaming devices, adding conversational features, video upscaling, and AI-powered search enhancements.
Even with the increase in AI adoption, the public’s unease has also spilled beyond bills and bandwidth. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s San Francisco home was attacked twice in the past week.
The first incident involved an alleged Molotov cocktail attack, and the second came two days later when police said a vehicle stopped near the property and a shot appeared to be fired from inside. Three people were arrested for the attacks, and no injuries were reported, but Altman said in a blog post that the fear and anxiety around AI are justified and warned that rhetoric and narratives can have real-world consequences. The incidents underscore how emotionally charged the AI debate has become
Rethinking AI’s Growth, And Real-World Price Tag
Just days before the attacks, OpenAI published its “Industrial Policy for the Intelligence Age,” calling it “ideas to keep people first.” The 13-page document says AI data centers should pay their own way on energy so households are not subsidizing them, and it pushes ideas like public-private grid expansion, stronger safety nets, and 32-hour, four-day workweek pilots with no loss in pay. OpenAI also says the goal is to broaden access, share prosperity, and make sure the AI transition does not concentrate power and wealth too narrowly.
In his blog post, Altman said the Molotov cocktail incident made him rethink the power of words and narratives, and he reiterated these ideas. The OpenAI CEO argued that AI will bring enormous change but also real disruption. He said the technology should be democratized, that democratic institutions should remain in control, and that debate around AI should be calmer and less explosive, both literally and figuratively. His message fits the survey’s broader mood that AI is advancing quickly, but the public conversation around it is increasingly polarized.
At the local level, dozens of county and city governments have moved to restrict data center development, reflecting growing concern about electricity demand, environmental impact, and pressure on local resources. The Wall Street Journal reported that Maine is on track to become the first U.S. state to freeze new data center construction, while lawmakers in more than 10 states have already proposed similar temporary bans. The WSJ also noted that Virginia and Texas now lead the nation in data center infrastructure, underscoring how quickly the AI buildout has become a national issue.
From Silicon Valley to the Monthly Statement
The AI revolution is often framed as a breakthrough moment for innovation and productivity. But for many Americans, it is starting to feel much more personal. Rising utility bills, growing data center footprints, and increasing strain on local infrastructure are turning what once felt like a distant tech trend into something that directly impacts monthly budgets.
The conversation around the technology will continue to shift as data centers expand and energy demand climbs. While Americans’ trust remains uneven, they are using it more than ever. Concerns about privacy, reliability, and long-term consequences are not going away, and that disconnect is fueling a broader debate about who benefits from AI’s rapid growth and who ultimately pays for it.
Credit: America Home Shield