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Hundreds of Americans saw a hike in their electric bill following a recent executive order signed by President Donald Trump, per Newsweek.
Earlier this month, residents who use Huntsville Utilities in Alabama were sent a letter alerting them that a grant they had previously received was no longer valid due to Trump's executive order.
The grant, distributed by the Community Action Partnership of Huntsville/Madison & Limestone Counties, "for $100 on January 23, 2025, is no longer valid due to President Trump's Executive Order to rescind the funding behind the grant."
The $100 amount was debited to affected customers' accounts and will be due on their next invoice, according to the letter.
News of the extra electric bill charge came after Trump signed the "Unleashing American Energy" executive order that directed all agencies to "immediately pause the disbursement of funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-169) or the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58)."
The executive order paused funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to Alabama's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which granted the $100 amount to households receiving assistance. Now, families who received the grant in January will have to pay for it in their next electric bill.
"Huntsville, Alabama had a federally-funded grant program that helped low income people pay their utility bills. Trump ended that program via executive order and now people are being sent bills to repay the grants they received in January and will be getting no such support moving forward. When billionaires say they are cutting 'government waste,' this is what they mean," one social media user wrote.
Customers impacted by the rescinded grant are encouraged to contact the Community Action Partnership of Huntsville/Madison & Limestone Counties for further guidance.
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