WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A concerning new trend has emerged in Florida: nearly 1 in 5 low-income households are regularly switching off their air conditioning at night to keep their energy bills manageable.
According to a July 2026 survey by Advance America, families earning $50,000 or less are going without AC for at least 11 nights each month on average—even during Florida's sweltering summer heat. That means these households are spending more than one-third of their summer nights choosing between staying cool and keeping their electricity costs under control.
The situation is even more challenging than it appears on the surface. More than a quarter of survey respondents (27%) admitted they've had to delay paying other household bills just to afford running their air conditioning. This creates a difficult cycle where families must juggle essential expenses like cooling costs against other necessities.
This isn't just a Florida problem. The full report reveals which other states are seeing similar patterns of families cutting back on AC usage, highlighting how energy costs are forcing difficult decisions in households across the country.
