Trump’s Energy Promise Collides With Reality as US Power Bills Rise

One year into President Donald Trump’s second term, one of his most potent campaign pledges is unraveling under the weight of hard data.

Trump rode back to the White House promising to slash American energy bills by 50 percent, vowing that “energy dominance” would deliver instant relief to households battered by inflation. Instead, the opposite has happened. Electricity and gas costs have risen nationwide, leaving families paying more—not less—for basic utilities.

An analysis by The Guardian shows that average US electricity bills rose by 6.7 percent in 2025, while gas prices climbed by 5.2 percent. For the typical household, that translates into an additional $116 (about Sh15,000) per year, puncturing the president’s central economic pitch.

“Your Bill Will Be 5-0 Percent Less”

On the campaign trail in Detroit in 2024, Trump made the promise unmistakably clear:

“Your bill will be 5-0 percent less.”

Twelve months later, that pledge is proving politically toxic.

The increases have been uneven—but brutal in key regions. Washington, D.C. recorded a staggering 23 percent jump in electricity bills, while parts of the Midwest, long considered Trump’s electoral backbone, have also seen sustained rises. The pain is now extending beyond low-income households; middle-class families are increasingly struggling to keep up.

Tariffs, Markets, and Unintended Consequences

Energy economists point to a convergence of forces undermining the White House narrative.

Global fuel markets remain volatile, while Trump’s renewed tariff-heavy trade policy has driven up the cost of imported components critical for energy infrastructure—from transformers to grid hardware. Utilities, facing higher capital and maintenance costs, have passed those increases directly to consumers.

The result: disconnections for unpaid bills have reportedly surged, in some states increasing several-fold, an indicator usually associated with economic downturns rather than “dominance.”

Political Fallout Ahead of the Midterms

The timing could hardly be worse for Republicans. Energy affordability cuts across ideology, and rising utility bills are among the most visible costs of living for voters. In swing districts, the contrast between promise and performance is already being weaponized by Democrats, who argue that deregulation and tariffs have delivered corporate windfalls, not household relief.

Trump, for his part, has doubled down on his familiar mantra—“drill, baby, drill”—insisting that expanded domestic production will eventually bring prices down. But critics note that oil and gas output does not automatically translate into cheaper electricity, particularly in a grid shaped by regulation, infrastructure costs, and global supply chains.

The Bottom Line

Energy independence, it turns out, is not the same as energy affordability.

For millions of Americans, the numbers that matter are not the ones touted at rallies, but the figures printed on monthly bills. And right now, those numbers tell a far less triumphant story—one that threatens to turn a signature Trump promise into a defining political liability as the midterms approach.