Apparently, it doesn’t matter how frugal you are right now, as one single mother from Virginia has pointed out. The Virginia woman came home to a rather infuriating surprise, where her electric bill charged more than $500, which not only made her angry but also puzzled, because she alleged that there was “no one” living in the house that the power company charged.
The rather emotionally-charged rant came from TikTok user @therealhg, aka theoghg from Virginia, which she posted on January 18, 2026. In the video, the TikTok user explained that her electric bill was a whopping $526.86, causing her to swear and curse the power company and the current economic situation, “This is insane! How the [expletive] people supposed to live anymore?!”
To make matters worse, the single mother alleged that, “No one’s home. Nothing’s running. I’m careful. I’m frugal. I always have been. And yet my electric bill is $526.” The TikTok user even reiterated that she kept her life simple and lived as a minimalist, yet the curveball bill from the power company has made her all the more bitter. “No matter how responsible you are, the cost of simply existing just keeps climbing,” adds the single mother.
And it’s not as if she was struggling to make ends meet; according to her, she has a “decent job” and that she’s not supposed to be “barely keeping my head above water.” While it might not be related, Virginia is notably home to the largest AI data center market in the world, and Ashburn is even known as the “Data Center Capital of the World.” Consequently, it’s no secret that data centers consume gargantuan amounts of electricity and water, which affect utility rates in the surrounding urban areas.
People online are sympathizing with the single mom
Sadly, it appears the single mother from Virginia is not alone in her struggle, with many people, even presumably from other states, also complaining about the spike in the cost of living. Hence, one commenter even pointed out, “Thank your local data center and local government,” while others joked, “are we great yet?” referencing a certain administration’s slogan back in the elections.
As for people in other states, one aggrieved citizen even claimed that, “I am in Maryland and mine was $1073. My house is a rancher with no basement and my thermostat is at 67. Unreal.” Someone else in another state also has similar woes, “Massachusetts here my average electric bill is 1000$ my last gas bill was 709 this month will be over 1000$.”
It’s not clear whether the TikTok user from Virginia is going to file a complaint to the power company, as it was rather unfair for her to get charged since her home was mostly empty and no one was using electricity (at least according to her). Other locales in Virginia, such as Bedford, also have complainants ranting about the high electricity bills, and while winter might be a factor for the increased costs, it seems many people also suspect other factors, particularly the data centers.
