Oklahoma had the nation's highest utility shut-off rate as unpaid bills cut power 458,000 times

Missed electric payments led to more than 450,000 disconnections across Oklahoma in 2024. A new analysis of federal data also showed that an Oklahoma utility, measured against the number of customers it serves, had the highest shut-off rate in the country.

For households already struggling to cover rent, groceries, and rising cooling costs, the figures point to a punishing cycle that can leave people without power again and again.

What's happening?

Reporting from StateImpact Oklahoma, citing data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, found that Oklahoma had the highest per-capita rate of power disconnections in the country, with most shut-offs coming from two utilities: the Public Service Company of Oklahoma and Oklahoma Gas & Electric.

The outlet reported that PSO recorded 290,739 shut-offs in 2024. That total placed the utility fifth nationwide overall, but first when its disconnections were compared with the size of its customer base. In addition, the report shows OG&E logged 167,275 disconnections that year.

PSO spokesperson Matt Rahn told StateImpact Oklahoma that the company's prepaid Power Pay program accounts for much of that total. Under the program, customers add money to an account in advance instead of being billed later in the month, and service stops once the balance reaches zero.

Rahn added that about 73% of PSO's 2024 disconnections — roughly 213,200 — came from Power Pay customers.

"We provide multiple notices and payment assistance options before disconnection and follow all Oklahoma Corporation Commission requirements designed to protect customers," he told the outlet.

OG&E spokesperson Dustin Gabus said some households were disconnected more than once and added that the company does not shut off power for balances under $75. To add to the cost of power bills for families that struggle to pay, the company's public policy also includes a $21 reconnection fee, StateImpact Oklahoma noted. 

Why does it matter?

Electricity is not optional during an Oklahoma summer or winter, and repeated shut-offs can quickly become a health and financial emergency. Losing power can mean spoiled food, dangerous indoor temperatures, missed work, and extra costs to restore service.

StateImpact Oklahoma highlighted that a big part of the issue, consumer advocates argue, is how narrow Oklahoma's protections are. Utilities cannot disconnect service when forecasts call for temperatures below 32 degrees or, as StateImpact Oklahoma reported, when the heat index or the actual temperature is expected to hit 101 degrees or more. In nearby Missouri and Arkansas, by contrast, disconnections stop at 95 degrees.

National Weather Service data cited by the outlet showed the Oklahoma City area recorded 31 days at or above 95 degrees in 2024, but only six days at or above 101 degrees.

AARP Oklahoma State Director Sean Voskuhl told StateImpact Oklahoma that he talks with residents regularly who are being squeezed by rising utility bills and limited incomes.

"People are really struggling making difficult trade-offs and either not paying their bill, or paying it later, or not the full amount," he said.

The pressure has grown as household electric prices climb: Oklahoma's average residential rate went from roughly 12.24 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2024 to 13.56 cents by March 2026. On top of that, StateImpact Oklahoma reported that PSO is pursuing another rate hike that could add about $25 to the average monthly bill.

PSO's latest rate case is now before the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, StateImpact Oklahoma reported. Proposed increases are often trimmed before they are approved, but for seniors and low-income households, even a smaller monthly hike can still hit especially hard.

"A $25 a month increase would be devastating for many Oklahomans, and especially those on fixed incomes," Voskuhl told the outlet. 

Critics say the larger issue is structural: When an essential service is tied to aggressive billing practices and limited protections, people with the least financial flexibility are left facing the greatest risk.

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