Con Edison is telling its 3.7 million customers in New York City and Westchester to expect higher bills when it gets cold and to sign up now for help paying them, according to a company news release.
The reason is simple arithmetic. Winter means more heating and longer hours with the lights on, and supply prices tend to rise on the coldest days. Con Ed says it buys energy on the wholesale market and passes that cost on without a markup.
Help with the bill
- Energy Affordability Program: bill discounts meant to keep energy costs at or below 6 percent of a household’s average annual income. Con Ed says a new statewide policy opens it to more households with incomes below the state median.
- Budget billing: spreads costs evenly over the year so winter months don’t spike.
- Payment plans: for customers already behind. The company says to call early, before the balance grows.
- Cold-weather protections: for seniors, households with children, people with disabilities and homes with registered life-support equipment.
Cutting use
The company’s tips are the familiar ones: set the thermostat as low as is comfortable, keep vents clear, open south-facing shades on sunny days and close them at night, wash clothes in cold water and take showers instead of baths. It also points to weekly energy-use reports at coned.com/notifications, which show the day and hour you used the most power.
Con Ed cites New York State’s Comfort Home program for insulation and says bad insulation can lose up to 30 percent of a home’s heat.
What the release does not say
There is no forecast of how much bills will rise this winter, no current supply price and no income cutoff for the Energy Affordability Program. It also doesn’t say how many customers are behind on payments now.
Details and sign-up: coned.com payment assistance.
This article is based on a news release from Con Edison and was not independently verified beyond the sources linked.
Top photo: Famartin / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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