There are some numbers going around about Americans at risk of utility disconnection, and I want to add a note of caution about interpreting those.

CNN has a shocking headline '205 million Americans at risk of utility disconnection.' But this figure refers to **the number of people living in states in which state-level prohibitions on shutoffs have expired**. It does not mean 205 million people are behind on their bills.

And this number refers to energy utilities. Plus, even though state-level prohibitions may have expired, individual utilities could still have a moratorium in place.

The big picture is that household financial stress is real. Water bills that have not been paid in the last 8 months are still accumulating. The debt will eventually come due, and utilities are working on extended repayment plans. More coverage here: https://www.circleofblue.org/water-debt/