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US natural gas prices are soaring as the country ships record amounts of the fuel overseas, contributing to an affordability crisis that is causing political problems for Donald Trump. 

Wholesale prices have jumped more than 70 per cent in the past 12 months, with the US benchmark Henry Hub price settling at $5.29 on Friday, its highest level since December 21 2022 during the energy crisis sparked by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The price surge is contributing to a deepening sense of runaway costs in the US, and flies in the face of Trump’s claims to have driven down energy prices during his first year back in office.

It comes alongside frigid temperatures across the US, pushing up demand for power generation to heat homes and businesses.

Trump has prioritised boosting LNG exports overseas and gas production at home to fuel the AI boom, as part of a strategy to unleash “US energy dominance”.

But he faces growing pushback from consumers and industry concerned that rising power prices are worsening a “cost of living crisis” and denting competitiveness.

“As North America exports more natural gas, it imports higher and more volatile gas prices as a result,” said Clark Williams-Derry, analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, a think-tank backed by environmental foundations.

“This is great news for the gas industry, which has seen a bump in revenues. But it’s not so great if you’re a US consumer who relies on gas for heating or power,” he said.

Analysts say it may also reflect a structural shift in gas pricing, as an increasing share of production is diverted to booming LNG exports and an anticipated rise in demand from energy-hungry artificial intelligence data centres.

“During the coldest days of winter, LNG exports and local consumers are competing for the same supply molecules. In extreme weather scenarios, there may not be enough gas supply to satisfy both,” said Eric McGuire, analyst at Wood Mackenzie, an energy consultancy.

Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a group representing large energy-consuming manufacturers, said US policymakers should prioritise domestic customers over LNG exports.

“As export volumes grow, price and reliability risks increase for US consumers and directly impact manufacturing competitiveness,” said Paul Cicio, chief executive of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America. 

“We do not have an alternative. We are stuck at the end of a pipeline.”

A Yahoo/YouGov poll published last week found that by a two-to-one margin, respondents believed Trump had done more to raise prices (49 per cent) than lower them (24%). This week, the president described cost-of-living concerns as a “con job by the Democrats”.   

During last year’s election campaign Trump promised to cut energy prices in half during his first 12 months in office — a message that resonated with voters stung by high inflation and energy costs during the Biden administration.

But since his election the cost of electricity and gas piped into homes has continued to climb, with rates increasing by 5.1 per cent and 11.7 per cent respectively in September, compared to a year earlier, data published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows.

The average price of natural gas paid by electric power plants this year will increase by 37 per cent and the price paid by industrial sector customers will rise by 21 per cent compared to the 2024 averages, according to the Energy Information Administration, the US government’s statistical arm.

Residential and commercial consumers are expected to pay 4 per cent more this year on average, compared to last year.

In September the US exported a record 9.41mn metric tonnes of LNG, up nearly 20 per cent in the same month a year earlier, according to the EIA.

US LNG helped supply Europe during the worst energy crisis in decades, as the continent tried to wean itself off Russian energy after Moscow ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with the primary destination for US cargoes including Spain, France, the UK and the Netherlands.

The LNG industry and gas producers argue surging LNG exports are not to blame for rising retail prices, as there is no shortage of gas to drill in the US. Instead, they blame a political failure to enable the construction of new pipelines and gas storage facilities, to supply key markets.

“It’s not AI, it’s not LNG exports. It’s very simple. It’s because political force has overwhelmed market forces and political force has shown up in the form of pipeline and energy infrastructure blockages,” said Toby Rice, chief executive of EQT, the largest gas producer in the US.

A lack of infrastructure is causing markets in the US to become disconnected, according to EQT, which expects to sell gas for approximately $4 per million British thermal units this winter in Appalachia while Boston and parts of New England will pay a much higher rate of close to $14 per mmbtu for natural gas, owing to very limited pipeline capacity to the city.

“This isn’t just the most expensive natural gas in the country, it’s the most expensive natural gas in the world,” said Rice.  

But analysts say booming LNG supply, growing demand from data centres and rising cost of extracting gas from some US basins, such as the Haynesville, would maintain pressure on natural gas prices.

“Between now and 2030, LNG export capacity in the US Gulf Coast will double what it is currently and that will definitely have an impact on price,” said Mathieu Utting, analyst at Rystad.

If you are a millennial, part of gen X or a boomer, you probably do not give a second thought to picking up the phone to talk to someone or chit-chatting beside the office water cooler. But for gen Z, those common workplace moments are a huge source of anxiety.

According to a study released this week, early mornings, working with older colleagues and making small talk are just some of the things employees born between 1997 and 2012 dread.

The study, commissioned by Trinity College London, surveyed more than 1,500 people aged between 16 and 29 across the UK. It found that 38% of young people dread having to make small talk in the workplace. Almost 60% said they would struggle to work with older colleagues while 30% feared picking up the phone.

Here, experts share their tips on how to overcome gen Z’s biggest anxieties.

Telephobia

“There’s a massive skill to learning to make calls,” says Liz Baxter, a careers adviser at Nottingham College who runs coaching sessions on phone confidence. She says demand for the college’s “telephobia” course is high.

While previous generations grew up having no option but to pick up the phone, Baxter says texting, online booking platforms and AI customer service have made making a phone call one of the biggest generational divides.

Baxter explains confidence comes with practice. She suggests calling friends and family first “to practise the ebb and flow of a two-way conversation in real time”.

Baxter stresses the importance of sitting up straight, speaking slowly and smiling as “the caller will hear it in your voice”.

Sophie Rains, a customer support and experience manager who manages a call centre, says that before dialling you should jot down “what the purpose of your call is and any relevant information. That way if you get nervous or confused you can refer back to your notes.”

If someone is rude or angry, Rains says: “I usually let them vent and eventually they run out of steam and are often a bit calmer.”

Rains says to remember not to take anything personally. “You don’t know what is going on in the caller’s life, or you might have caught them at a bad time.”

Colleagues and office chit-chat

Rather than fearing encounters with new people, Marie O’Riordan, an executive coach, suggests viewing it as an adventure, with many people making lifelong friends through work.

The former editor-in-chief of Marie Claire and Elle UK, who now specialises in helping women transition into leadership roles, says small talk can often lead to other opportunities.

She suggests starting with workplace topics such as how long someone has been with the company, rather than subjects such as someone’s home life, which could be considered too personal.

“Gen Z often underestimate how flattering it is to be asked questions,” O’Riordan says. “It shows a generosity and you can learn so much from other people.”

Early birds

If you need to set an early alarm, Dr Radha Modgil, the author of Know Your Own Power: Inspiration, Motivation and Practical Tools for Life, suggests treating yourself as if you were a child going back to school after the summer holidays. In the weeks leading up to a new job, start by bringing your bedtime and getting-up time forward.

For an efficient morning routine, take your start time and work backwards. “Look at travel timetables. Get your work clothes ready the night before. Lay out your breakfast,” Modgil says. “These are things that all sound very simple but they help prepare you and can reduce anxiety.”

According to the report, 28% of gen Z favoured flexible working hours and no emails after 6pm, while 32% wanted mental health days as standard. A desire to work from home was expressed by 68% of the respondents. Modgil says a lot of trepidation stems from gen Z feeling like the workplace will be detrimental to their wellbeing.

Modgil suggests treating each month like a marathon and coming up with a plan. “It helps to pace yourself so that you can be present and have the mental and emotional energy to work effectively.”

A recent investigation into Intellexa, the Israeli spyware firm behind Predator— a one-click spyware tool that covertly infects devices to harvest sensitive data, including messages, photos, location, and audio, while also enabling remote surveillance and control — has uncovered evidence of its ongoing operations despite international sanctions, with some leaks indicating the use of the spyware in Pakistan

Jointly published by Haaretz, Inside Story and WAV Research Collective, the leaks reveal that Intellexa continues to operate its spyware systems with minimal disruption. Despite being sanctioned by the U.S Treasury Department in 2024 for selling spyware to various governments, Intellexa’s tools remain active.

Leaked documents suggest Intellexa staff retained remote access to customers’ surveillance operations. This included viewing data from devices infected by Predator, which exceeds what the firm has publicly disclosed and raises questions about the company’s accountability.

In addition, Intellexa has reportedly developed a new infection vector called “Aladdin”, which uses malicious online advertisements to infect users’ devices. This zero-click exploit is more insidious than previous methods, as simply viewing an ad can result in an infection, making surveillance far more stealthy and difficult to detect.

Predator in Pakistan

Leaks suggest Predator spyware has been used in Pakistan. In 2025, a human-rights lawyer in Balochistan received a suspicious WhatsApp link later linked to Intellexa’s spyware. This is reported as the first confirmed case of Predator spyware use in the country.

A senior Pakistani intelligence officer has reportedly rejected the claims, calling them “baseless” and suggesting the report was intended to undermine the country. Evidence from Amnesty’s Security Lab, including forensic data and technical analysis, suggests the situation is more complex

According to the report, Intellexa’s founder, Tal Dilian, has denied any criminal activity.

Once activated via the one-click method, Predator blends into background processes and collects sensitive information. It establishes a communication channel between the infected device and the attacker’s command-and-control server, allowing attackers to issue commands remotely.

The spyware regularly sends the stolen data to a remote server, where it is stored for analysis or further use. This data transfer happens in the background, without triggering alerts on the device.