Despite President Joe Biden’s continuous claims that “America’s Back”, new data indicates a staggering number of American households are currently behind on making utility payments due mainly to soaring energy costs. Experts fear that mass power shutoffs are on the horizon.

According to Fox Business, The National Energy Assistance Directors Association says more than 20 million U.S. families are behind on their utility bills, numbers NEADA executive director Mark Wolfe believes are “historic.”

The NEADA chief told FOX Business that the amount owed sat at roughly $8.1 billion at the end of 2019 and has now skyrocketed to around $16 billion. The average delinquent bill climbed from $403 to $792.

According to the Labor Department, one of the biggest reasons behind the utility debt is a surge in energy prices. Natural gas is up 30.5% year-over-year in July.

Andrew Lipow, president of energy consulting firm Lipow Oil Associates wrote this week that “the consumer is going to pay more for their heating bills this winter,” adding that “whether they use natural gas or home heating oil, most will have sticker shock.”

He went on to note that “natural gas futures prices are now more than double what they were a year ago.”

Just 3 weeks ago, Biden’s top labor official, Marty Walsh, claimed “We’re not in a recession. The economy on the job front is going very, very strong. And I see it continuing for the foreseeable future,” yet an unprecedented number of Americans could face having their power shut off because they cannot pay the overdue home energy bills.

With pandemic-era moratoriums on utility shutoffs expired and the price of natural gas set to continue its upward climb, Mark Wolfe says that “looking ahead – all signs point to continued growth in arrearages,” contradicting statements that claim Joe Biden’s economy is “going very very strong.”