Photo: UpstateNYer / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Most homes in the Capital Region get electricity and natural gas from National Grid, while much of the mid-Hudson Valley, including Kingston and Poughkeepsie, is served by Central Hudson Gas & Electric. The bills look different, but they follow the same structure set by the New York State Public Service Commission.
Two halves: delivery and supply
Delivery covers the poles, wires, pipes, meters and customer service that your utility provides. Delivery rates are set by the Public Service Commission in rate cases, which are public proceedings that can be followed on the commission’s Document and Matter Management system. Delivery charges usually include a fixed monthly customer charge plus a per-kilowatt-hour or per-therm charge.
Supply is the cost of the electricity or gas itself. If you buy supply from your utility, the price changes month to month with wholesale markets and is passed through without markup. Supply costs are a large reason winter bills rise when natural gas prices are high.
ESCOs
New York lets customers buy supply from an energy service company, or ESCO, instead of the utility. The utility still delivers the energy and sends the bill, and the ESCO’s charge appears in the supply section. Compare the ESCO’s rate with the utility’s supply price shown on the bill or on the utility’s website. The Public Service Commission has adopted consumer protections for residential ESCO customers, and customers can return to utility supply.
Other lines on the bill
- System benefits and clean energy charges fund state energy efficiency and clean energy programs.
- Taxes and surcharges, including gross receipts taxes, vary by municipality.
- Estimated vs. actual reads: an “E” or “estimated” note means the meter was not read that month. Large corrections can follow.
Budget billing
Both utilities offer budget billing, which spreads expected annual costs into equal monthly payments, with periodic adjustments. It does not lower the total, but it avoids winter spikes.
Help paying
- HEAP. The federally funded Home Energy Assistance Program, administered in New York by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and county departments of social services, provides regular and emergency benefits to income-eligible households during the heating season.
- Energy Affordability Program. Households that receive HEAP or certain other benefits may be enrolled in a monthly bill discount through the Public Service Commission’s Energy Affordability Program. Ask your utility to confirm you are enrolled.
- Deferred payment agreements. State rules require utilities to offer payment agreements to residential customers who fall behind, before service is shut off.
- EmPower+. NYSERDA’s EmPower+ program offers free or reduced-cost energy efficiency upgrades for income-eligible households.
Winter protections
From November 1 through April 15, utilities must follow additional procedures before shutting off heat-related service, including attempts to contact the household. Customers with a medical emergency or elderly, blind or disabled household members have additional protections under the Home Energy Fair Practices Act. Complaints that cannot be settled with the utility can be filed with the Public Service Commission’s consumer helpline.
