With the deep cold, consistent darkness and long hours spent indoors, winter can be a pretty difficult season to get through, and it can often affect our mood.

With the new year comes new goals, new ambitions and new horizons to set our eyes on. Last year is a thing of the past; now, we’re ready to accomplish something bigger and better in 2026.

WHYY - Increasingly, people across the U.S. are struggling to pay their utility bills as the price of electricity soars because of supply costs and an increased demand from sources like data centers.

Gas bills are also on the rise, with Philadelphia Gas Works customers facing a $6 increase on average to their monthly bills, starting Dec. 1.
The effects are evident in states like Pennsylvania, where utility shutoffs have increased by 21% this year, leaving ratepayers in the dark.

The termination of a person’s utilities can have dire consequences, especially for kids, older ratepayers and people living with chronic health conditions.

“A shutoff in a very cold month can not only lead to health consequences for the household living in very, very cold conditions, it can also lead to structural damage to the home because the loss of utilities during those times can cause pipes to burst and all sorts of other things,” said Sarah Spangler Rhine, deputy director at Community Legal Aid Society in Delaware.