With winter just around the corner, National Grid is offering a variety of solutions and services to help customers prepare for the colder weather ahead. The company’s “Here For You" package of programs will connect customers with resources to help reduce energy usage and save money, secure available energy assistance, and better manage bills. National Grid offers numerous payment programs for income-eligible customers, extensive residential and business energy efficiency programs, low-cost and no-cost bill management solutions, and flexible payment programs. 

The company is reaching out to customers through email, bill messaging, advertisements, traditional and social media, webinars and in-person Customer Assistance Events to highlight programs available to help manage winter energy bills.

Winter Outlook

Current forecasts indicate a slight increase in winter bills this coming season compared to the overall winter bill decrease customers saw during last year’s warmer-than-normal winter. Assuming typical winter weather and based on a forecast available at the end of September, natural gas bills for upstate New York residential customers using 713 therms are expected to be about $25 higher over the five-month winter heating season — Nov 1., 2024 to March 31, 2025 — when compared to last winter. The main driver for the increase is the supply cost of natural gas, which is determined by market conditions and not controlled by National Grid.

Although there is a slight increase from last year, total bills have trended lower over the past few years. This year’s winter bill forecast is about $136 lower when compared to bills for the same usage and during the same five-month period in 2022-2023.

National Grid stores gas and employs future price hedges, or locked-in pricing, 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.          

Winter bill forecasts are based on information available at the end of September and assume typical winter weather conditions. Because energy costs and use are affected by weather and other market factors, the company reminds customers that 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 events that impact supply and demand, and fluctuations in energy use.

Customer Assistance

Customers who are having difficulty with affording their energy bills are encouraged to contact National Grid as soon as possible. There are several assistance programs for income-eligible customers, including:

• 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 and electricity bill credits for HEAP-eligible customers or customers who participate in other qualifying programs.
• NYSERDA's EmPower New York Income-Eligible Free Weatherization Program, 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’s two newest relief programs, funded by the company’s shareholders, were established to aid customers who exceed federal poverty levels but fall below basic cost of living guidelines.

• The Hope & Warmth Energy Fund provides eligible National Grid customers with a one-time emergency grant of $500 for heating, $100 for hot water and/or cooking.
• Hearts Fighting Hunger offers a one-time emergency food assistance in the form of a $300 grocery store gift card/food voucher to National Grid customers who meet financial and other eligibility criteria.

Both programs, along with the Care & Share Energy Fund, are administered by HeartShare Human Services of New York.

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. They can be reached at ConsumerAdvocatesUNY@nationalgrid.com or 1-800-642-4272.

 Additional Customer Solutions:

• The Budget Billing Program, open to all residential customers, spreads payments out more evenly across the year to help better manage energy costs.
• A no-cost home energy audit, available through NYSERDA, provides a top-to-bottom look at where a home is wasting energy. Customers will learn the root causes of any drafts, inconsistent temperatures, heating and cooling system failures, and other problems, and will receive recommendations about how to address these issues.
• National Grid's free online home energy survey, a no-cost, five-minute questionnaire that provides customers with a custom energy savings report.

The company also encourages customers to take advantage of additional payment and billing options, including flexible payment agreements and special protections.

 Energy Saving 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 reduce energy usage, they save money. National Grid offers the following tips:

• For every 1 degree a thermostat is set back, customers may be able to 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 may save up to $1,000 over the lifetime of the unit.
• Unplug electronic devices when they are not in use. While it may appear as if electronics are powered off, they may actually be in standby mode and still consuming electricity. Eliminating phantom electricity by unplugging home electronics can save up to 10% per year.
• Repairing or replacing leaky faucets can save $20 per month in lost water.
• A 100-watt incandescent bulb and 16.6-watt LED bulb each provide approximately 1,500 lumens of brightness. Replacing five incandescent bulbs with LEDs may save more than $11 a month. Lighting accounts for around 15% of a home’s electricity use. The average household may save about $225 in energy costs per year by switching to LED lighting.
• 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.
• 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.
• Residential customers can save as well through our residential energy savings programs.

About National Grid

National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a smarter, stronger, cleaner energy future — transforming our networks with more reliable and resilient energy solutions to meet state climate goals and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.