Gas utilities profit from making infrastructure investments, not by the amount of fuel you use. So perhaps it’s no wonder that average household fuel consumption is down but our bills keep going up. Why? Because since 2010, gas utilities across the US have radically increased — more than tripled — their spending on gas pipeline replacement and expansion projects. According to one analysis, if utilities had instead maintained pre-2010 levels of spending, their customers would have saved $130 billion — or $1,723 per household.

Utilities have plowed billions of dollars into fully replacing their pipeline systems — even though there are often cheaper alternatives for dealing with this aging infrastructure. Not great for consumers, but it has been a gravy train for boosting their corporate profits. In total, the rise in gas and electric utility capital expenditures has produced a massive increase in utility rate hike requests — and investor-owned utility profits — as well as executive compensation — is soaring. According to a utility rate tracker, 56 million gas utility customers across 49 states and the District of Columbia have seen increases or proposals for rate increases since the start of 2025. Meanwhile, about 1 in 6 U.S. households are reportedly behind on their utility bills.

At the same time distribution costs have surged, households are also exposed to considerable risk of future gas fuel cost increases. Breakneck growth in gas exports from the U.S. is already causing households to pay more for their energy, and export capacity will double by 2029. Domestic manufacturers know the risks and have pleaded for protections. Or in the words of the top executive of the nation’s largest gas producer: “We really expect volatility to go up, not down.” 

The public doesn’t need to be stuck with perpetually more expensive energy bills. Regulators and policymakers have numerous tools at their disposal: Start setting the rate of profit utilities are allowed to earn on their investments at lower, more appropriate margins; require utilities to pursue cheaper alternatives to replacing pipes, including evaluating for opportunities for non-pipeline alternatives deliver lower-cost options; stop forcing households to pay the cost of giving free gas line connections to new building developers; reduce barriers to electrification and force new data centers to pay their fair share. Business as usual got us into this mess, but we can address the hidden costs and risks of gas to build a more affordable future.