Donald Trump did not just promise cheaper power, he set a stopwatch. On the trail he vowed to “cut the price of energy and electricity in half” within 12 months of taking office, a pledge that turned kitchen-table anxiety into a concrete benchmark. With his second term now roughly 10 months old, there is enough data on gas, electricity and natural gas bills to test how that promise stacks up against reality.
Instead of a dramatic drop, the emerging picture is a patchwork: modest relief at the pump, sharply higher power bills and policy choices that tilt toward fossil fuel producers rather than bill payers. I set out to build a simple scorecard, comparing that 50 percent target to what Americans are actually paying and to the decisions the administration has made that shape those costs.
The 50 percent promise meets the 12‑month clock
The core claim was straightforward: Trump Said He would Cut Energy Prices in Half in 12 Months, a sweeping pledge that bundled gasoline, electricity and home heating into one political sound bite. That line has been repeated in coverage of his energy agenda, including a detailed look at how he framed the goal and how energy costs have moved under Trump’s administration, which described how Trump Said He would Cut Energy Prices in Half in 12 Months and asked Where They are at today. The promise created a clear yardstick, one that does not depend on partisan spin or long-range projections.
As his second term approaches its one year mark, the numbers show nothing close to a 50 percent drop in overall household energy costs. Analyses of his record note that energy costs under Trump’s administration have not followed the trajectory implied by that pledge, even as the White House continues to tout deregulation and fossil fuel support as bill-cutting strategies. That disconnect between the original vow to Cut Energy Prices by Half in Months and the current bill trends is the starting point for any honest scorecard.
Gasoline prices: some relief, but nowhere near half
At the pump, drivers have seen a bit of good news. According to one breakdown of recent data, Gasoline Prices Show Some Relief, Unlike the stubborn rise in electricity costs, with federal figures indicating that gas prices have eased over the last year. Another analysis that leans on Bureau of Labor Statistics data reports that, According to the BLS, gas prices have fallen 6% over the last 12 months as of August 2025, a far cry from the 50 percent cut Trump promised but still a meaningful shift for commuters and delivery workers who feel every dime on a gallon.
That modest decline reflects a mix of global oil dynamics, Federal Reserve policy and domestic production trends, not a single White House decision. The same review that cites the 6 percent drop also notes that The EIA reported U.S. average gasoline prices moving within a relatively narrow band, suggesting that while the direction is helpful for consumers, the magnitude is limited and the durability is yet to be seen. On this part of the scorecard, Trump can point to incremental progress, but the numbers do not come close to validating a claim that fuel costs would be cut in half.
Electricity bills: rising in most of the country
Electricity tells a very different story, one that cuts directly against the headline promise. Reporting on national trends finds that US electricity prices skyrocket under Trump, hitting highest levels in years, with Electricity prices across the United States rising faster than in the recent past. One analysis of federal data notes that their data places the average residential rate climbing from 16.28¢ per kilowatt-hour to 17.45¢ by July 2025, a clear increase rather than any move toward a 50 percent reduction.
Those higher rates are not isolated to a handful of states. Another review concludes that Electricity Bills Have Risen in 47 States, While Trump’s administration blocks some of the cheapest and cleanest new power sources that could ease pressure on ratepayers. At the same time, the administration is openly offering “concierge, white glove” service to oil, gas and coal projects, a posture that favors incumbent fossil fuel interests over investments that could lower long-term electricity costs. On this metric, the scorecard is unambiguous: power bills are up, not down, in most of the country.
Natural gas and home heating: more households squeezed
For families that heat with gas, the pattern is similarly discouraging. A detailed assessment of utility trends reports that residents of 49 states and Washington, D.C., face increasing electric and natural gas bills, with higher charges projected to hit nearly every household. The same analysis notes that, Instead of addressing rising utility costs, the Trump administration has canceled projects for new energy supply and issued rules that could add billions of dollars to bills within the next decade, locking in higher costs rather than racing toward a 50 percent cut.
Those choices matter most in winter, when heating bills can rival a car payment. Policy experts warn that the combination of rising gas distribution charges and stalled investment in cheaper alternatives will leave low income households particularly exposed. When nearly the entire map, 49 states and Washington, D.C., is facing higher electric and natural gas bills, the idea that home energy costs are on track to be halved within a year looks less like a realistic target and more like a campaign line that never met the math.
Policy choices that push bills higher, not lower
Trump’s own policy record undercuts his promise of dramatically cheaper energy. Earlier in his second term, analysts pointed out that Trump Promised Lower Electricity Bills, His Trade War Could Drive Them Higher, highlighting how tariffs on imported solar panels, steel and other equipment raise the cost of building new power plants and grid upgrades. On the campaign trail, Donald Trump pitched himself as a champion of low bills, but trade and regulatory moves have often nudged costs in the opposite direction.
Other experts have gone further, arguing that Americans Just Got Scammed on Their Electricity Bills as a result of regulatory rollbacks and market interventions that favor legacy generators over cheaper clean energy. In that critique, Elea Castiglione, writing under the banner of Electricity and Clean Energy, describes how, Just six months into President Trump’s second term, rule changes were already steering investment away from options that could help households save on their energy bills. The pattern that emerges is not one of a government single-mindedly chasing lower prices, but of an administration prioritizing certain industries even when that means higher monthly statements for consumers.
What independent scorekeepers say about the bill impact
Outside the administration, independent analysts and political opponents have tried to quantify what Trump’s agenda means for household budgets. One detailed fact check of the electricity bill debate notes that critics have warned the “big ugly bill” moving through Congress is going to mean a lot of big ugly energy bills arriving in the mail for Americans around the country. That same review estimates that some households could pay hundreds of dollars more per year by 2035 if current policies remain in place, a trajectory that again runs counter to the idea of halving costs.
Democratic lawmakers have seized on the gap between rhetoric and reality. In one pointed video, Senator Elizabeth Warren calls out Another Trump lie that is costing American families, reminding viewers that Trump, and specifically Donald Trump on the campaign trail, said he would “cut the price of energy and electricity in half” and arguing that his actual record has produced the opposite. When both nonpartisan analysts and partisan critics converge on the conclusion that bills are rising, it becomes harder for the White House to claim that the 12 month pledge is on track.
Early verdict: the 12‑month target is badly missed
Even in the first 100 days of this term, the warning signs were visible. An early review of price data found that Trump promised to slash energy prices, yet 100 days in, they are up and expected to keep rising, with particular concern about how regulatory changes in the power sector could lock in higher costs for years. That analysis recalls how, On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump made multiple promises to lower energy prices and electricity bills for Americans, only to preside over an environment where utilities and fuel suppliers were signaling increases.
More recent coverage has sharpened that picture, noting that Electricity Costs Are Rising Trump even as he claimed at the General Assembly in September that “energy costs are dropping.” One breakdown that leans on Bureau of Labor Statistics and Federal Reserve data concludes that electricity prices are up in most states, with only a couple of exceptions such as Nevada and Rhode Island, and that overall household energy spending has not fallen in line with his rhetoric. When I line up those findings against the original vow to cut energy prices in half within 12 months, the scorecard is clear: a small win on gasoline, broad increases on electricity and natural gas, and a policy record that points away from, not toward, the promised 50 percent cut.
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Grant Mercer covers market dynamics, business trends, and the economic forces driving growth across industries. His analysis connects macro movements with real-world implications for investors, entrepreneurs, and professionals. Through his work at The Daily Overview, Grant helps readers understand how markets function and where opportunities may emerge.
