michael and her kids are in the dark. she got a shutoff from her power company. she owes them $2,400, debt that has grown throughout covid, taking care of her daughter. they cut her power until she paid a portion of her debt. now they are threatening to do it again. in it's frightening. i don't want to be no where else but home. >> reporter: americans have been racking up utility debt during the pandemic. they owe close to $20 billion, up 67% from the average year. a study in massachusetts found 30% more families are now at least 90 days behind on their bill. early in the pandemic, at least 32 states issued emergency orders to prevent companies from cutting people's power. but nearly all have expired and shutoffs have surged. one study found close to a million american households this their power caught over a 12-month span over 17 states. >> we think the real number