With market prices for natural gas expected to increase this coming winter heating season, National Grid is actively promoting bill management programs and increasing outreach to ensure customers are aware of the forecast and have time to take advantage of all available services and tools that can help them save money on their energy needs.

National Grid provides flexible payment programs a budget billing plan, customer assistance webinars, and energy efficiency incentives for residential and business customers.  The company is conducting proactive outreach through email, radio advertisements, traditional and social media, customer assistance webinars, and bill messaging to alert customers to higher prices and highlight programs to help them manage their energy bills.  Additionally, National Grid is partnering with United Way affiliates across most of New York to promote the nonprofit’s 2-1-1 helpline that provides health and human services information, referral, assessment, and crisis support for callers in need.

“We recognize that higher energy prices will add to the financial burden for our customers who are struggling with higher costs at the grocery store, gas pump and elsewhere,” said Melanie Littlejohn, National Grid’s New York Vice President for Customer and Community Engagement. “Our commitment is to support our customers by helping them stay warm and safe this winter. National Grid has numerous assistance programs available, as well as energy saving strategies, resources and tips.”

How Current Forecasts Will Affect Winter Bills

 Long Island

Based on current market conditions and assuming a typical winter, National Grid’s Long Island residential customers who use an average of 720 therms during the five-month winter heating season — November 1, 2022, to March 30, 2023 — are forecasted to pay about $299 more than last winter. That’s a 29.3% increase for the same amount of energy use over five months, with $236 of that increase attributed to higher wholesale supply prices. The remaining portion of the increase is related to delivery price increases approved as part of the company’s multi-year rate agreement and other customer bill surcharges.

New York City

NYC Metro residential customers using 720 therms for the five-month heating season are forecasted to pay about $306 more (28.1%) compared to last year with $231 of that increase attributed to higher wholesale supply prices.

National Grid plays an active role in managing the natural gas purchased on behalf of customers by using gas storage and future price hedges, or locked-in pricing. Today’s forecasts factor in the benefit of the company’s hedging strategies, which are helping to mitigate wholesale supply price volatility on customers’ bills. As a reminder, the cost of energy supply is set by the marketplace and passed directly on to customers without markup.     

The winter bill forecasts are based on information available at the end of August and assume typical winter weather conditions. Because energy costs and use are impacted by weather and other market factors, the company reminds customers that today’s forecasted figures are approximate and based on a snapshot in time. In addition to weather, factors that determine actual costs are wholesale energy supply prices, global supply and demand, and energy use, all of which can be dramatically impacted by severely cold temperatures.

Customer Assistance

Financial assistance and energy saving programs are available to help customers manage their energy bills.

There are several assistance programs for income-eligible customers, including:  

• New York state’s one-time, Electric & Gas Bill Relief credit program, which eliminates unpaid utility bills accrued through May 1, 2022, for qualifying customers.
• The federal, Home Energy Assistance Program,  which provides eligible customers with financial grants that assist in paying home heating bills. These grants do not need to be repaid. The program is administered by county departments of social service and typically runs from November through March, but the timeframe may be lengthened or shortened based on federal funding availability. For more information about HEAP, contact your county’s department of social services.
• National Grid’s Energy Affordability Program, which provides automatic monthly gas bill credits for HEAP-eligible customers or customers who participate in other qualifying programs.
• NYSERDA’s EmPower New York Income-Eligible Free Weatherization Program, for New York Metro customers, under which a participating contractor will complete a no-cost home energy assessment to identify if a home would benefit from free energy upgrades such as high-efficiency lighting, attic and wall insulation, replacement of old, inefficient refrigerators and freezers and water-saving showerheads.
• National Grid Home Energy Affordability Team (HEAT), provides Long Island income eligible customers with a no-cost home energy assessment to identify if a home would benefit from free energy upgrades such as water-saving faucets and shower heads, attic and wall insulation, air sealing of leaks, weather stripping, duct sealing, programmable or smart Nest thermostats and in some instances repair or replacement of natural gas heating and water heating equipment.

Additionally, National Grid Consumer Advocates work directly with customers to help them manage their energy bills. The Advocates specialize in assisting income-eligible and vulnerable customers, aligning them with available programs and services offered by National Grid and local agency partners.

Long Island Consumer Advocates can be reached at 1-800-930-5003 or ConsumerAdvocacyLI@nationalgrid.com.

New York City Consumer Advocates can be reached at 1-718-643-4050 or ConsumerAdvocacyNYC@nationalgrid.com.

Additional Customer Solutions:

• Budget Billing Program open to all residential customers, spreads payments out more evenly across the year to help better manage energy costs.
• National Grid’s free online home energy survey, a no-cost, five-minute questionnaire that provides customers with a custom energy savings report.
• Total Home Comfort, weatherize your home while saving annually on heating and cooling costs -- estimated up to 25% by taking advantage of discounts and immediate incentives available for home insulation and air sealing, storm windows, pipe insulation.
• The company also encourages customers to take advantage of additional payment and billing options, including flexible payment agreements and special protections.  
• Savings Your Way Program, receive no-cost energy saving products when you complete an in-person or virtual home energy assessment. Schedule your appointment and our Energy Advisors will help you identify ways to save at home.

Heating Savings Tips

Heating a home is one of the most significant energy investments most customers make, and energy efficiency can lower bills while enhancing comfort. Simply put, when customers save more energy, they save more money. National Grid offers the following tips:

• For every 1 degree a thermostat is set back, customers can save 1% to 3% on their annual heating costs.
• Turn down the thermostat every time you leave the house for two hours or more, and each night before you go to bed. It takes less energy to warm up a cool house than to maintain a warm temperature all day and night.
• Consider a smart thermostat as an inexpensive, easy way to maintain comfort and cut heating costs. When used properly, a smart thermostat can save 10% on heating and cooling costs annually.
• Insulate the attic, walls, ceilings, and floors to prevent heat from escaping.
• Take advantage of the sun: Open drapes during the day to capture warmth and close them at night to prevent heat loss through windows.
• Seal holes and cracks where cold air can get in, especially in the attic and basement. Reducing drafts in a home may save 15% in heating and cooling costs annually.
• Remove window air conditioning units during the cold months to reduce drafts. If this is not possible, cover the inside and outside of the units.
• If you’re looking to replace an appliance, choose one that is ENERGY STAR^® certified and save anywhere from 10% to 50% in energy costs. For example, replacing a refrigerator that is older than 15 years with an ENERGY STAR^® certified refrigerator can save up to $1,000 over the lifetime of the unit.
• Cold air let in by air leaks can increase your energy use, so seal all holes and cracks where cold air can get in, especially in the attic and basement.
• Repairing or replacing leaky faucets can save $20 per month in lost water.
• Have your heating system serviced annually, and never try to repair it yourself. Customers who qualify for HEAP may also receive a Clean and Tune Benefit, which provides up to $400 for the cleaning and maintenance of primary heating equipment, chimney cleaning, and installation of carbon monoxide detectors or programmable thermostats.
• If your heating system has a filter, clean or replace it every month during the heating season.
• If your heating equipment is near the end of its lifespan, consider a high-efficiency replacement before the heating season starts and the discounts and incentives that are available. A new high-efficiency gas furnace can save up to 30% on heating costs.
• Customers who qualify for HEAP may qualify for the Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement benefit that provides grants based on the actual cost to repair or replace heating equipment in your home.
  
  
• Residential customers also can take advantage of instant discounts and incentives at the National Grid Marketplace on energy-efficient light bulbs, smart thermostats and more products that will help save energy and money.
• Small business, commercial and industrial customers can take advantage of energy savings programs, including energy studies, and incentives to replace aging or inefficient equipment such as high-efficiency boilers and furnaces, variable frequency drives, lighting, compressed air system controls, and refrigeration and humidity controls.

“Energy efficiency can lower your energy bills, enhance comfort and make a positive impact on the environment,” Littlejohn said. “Offering these programs and incentives to all of our customers, especially those who are experiencing challenges, personifies our Project C commitment to champion social equity within the communities where we live and work.”

Partnership with 2-1-1

National Grid is working with United Way of New York State to support the 2-1-1 human services hotline, which connects callers across of most of New York to essential non-emergency public services like food and shelter, referrals to non-profit services, and information about benefit programs. In addition to sponsoring the 24-hour phone line, National Grid’s customer contact center staff will be cross-trained to refer and transfer callers demonstrating a need for services beyond energy affordability to a 2-1-1 operator. Staff at 2-1-1 call centers also will receive training to transfer National Grid customers in need of payment assistance to the company’s call center.

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