NEW YORK – Con Edison encourages customers to use energy wisely and save money once winter’s chill hits the region. And Con Edison can help.
Con Edison offers some of the most robust energy efficiency programs in the country and urges customers to find one that works for them. The programs pay incentives to customers who upgrade their lighting, HVAC systems and other equipment.
Customers can follow the company’s energy saving tips to help them manage their usage and costs while also protecting the environment.
Helping customers save on electricity and natural gas fits well with Con Edison’s environmental stewardship and support for the state’s clean energy goals, as the company makes clear in its Clean Energy Commitment.
As New York State transitions to renewables, Con Edison continues to invest in its gas delivery system to keep it safe and reliable. Many gas customers rely on natural gas for heat. Natural gas also powers electric generation plants and many customers rely on electric heat.
The company offers payment assistance options, including budget billing, which smooths a customer’s costs out throughout the year.
Helping Vulnerable Customers
Con Edison understands that energy costs can be a hardship, particularly for low- and moderate-income customers, and offers options to help.
Customers who have fallen behind on their bills can get on a payment plan or get a payment extension. A payment plan allows a customer to pay off arrears over time. Payment extensions give customers up to 10 extra days to pay their bills.
It is important for customers who are falling behind on bills to contact Con Edison early, before the arrears pile up.
Customers who receive benefits from certain government assistance programs can qualify for the company’s Energy Affordability Program to keep energy costs at or below 6 percent of average annual income.
The Home Energy Assistance Program provides benefits to qualified low-income customers to help cover heating costs during the winter months.
Con Edison offers protections during cold weather and payment programs for seniors, households with children, people with disabilities and customers experiencing medical emergencies.
Manage Usage, Manage Bills
The best strategy for Con Edison’s 3.7 million customers to manage their winter bills is to manage their usage. Customers can save money by using these tips:
- Set thermostats at the lowest comfortable temperature. Each degree higher increases heating costs.
- Clear area around heating and cooling vents. Carpets, furniture, and other objects can block vents and prevent heated air from circulating in your home.
- Have a qualified contractor clean and inspect heating systems.
- Insulate hot-water pipes and warm-air ducts that pass through unheated areas. Clean or replace filters for the hot-air furnace and heat pump.
- Swap out window shades seasonally. Light-colored window coverings reflect the sun’s energy, while darker ones absorb it and release heat.
- Replace conventional light bulbs with LED bulbs, which are up to 10 times more efficient, and widely available.
- Unplug electronics when they’re not in use. Some high-energy devices like computers, televisions, and game consoles use electricity even when they’re turned off.
- Maximize your home’s efficiency and improve comfort with proper insulation and air sealing. You’ll save energy and money year-round. Learn more: conEd.com/WeatherReady. Old or improperly installed insulation can lead to a loss of up to 30 percent of your home’s heating or air conditioning.
Winter Bills
Con Edison buys natural gas and electricity on the wholesale markets and uses a variety of strategies to stabilize pricing for customers. The company does not set supply costs and does not make a profit on the supply.
Energy costs are volatile and can fluctuate due to economic trends, weather, geopolitical turmoil like what is taking place in Ukraine and the Middle East and other factors.
The delivery charges are set by the New York State Public Service Commission following an in-depth, public process.
The company projects that a residential natural gas heating customer using an average of 158 therms per month will pay $398.88 a month from November 2024 to March 2025, 3.1 percent more than the average bill of $386.76 last winter.
A New York City residential electric customer using 280 kilowatt hours a month this winter will pay about $117.71, a 0.2 percent increase over last winter’s $117.51 based on the projections.
A Westchester County residential customer using 425 kilowatt hours a month will have an average bill of $153.64, a 3.7 percent increase over last winter’s $148.16, based on latest estimates.
A residential low-income customer who qualifies for the Energy Affordability Program can receive a discount up to $178 per month, based on qualifying tier.
For a small commercial customer in New York City using 583 kilowatt hours per month, bills are projected to rise $23.89, or 10.5 percent, from $227.55 last winter to $251.44.
A larger commercial customer in New York City using 10,800 kilowatt hours with a peak demand of 31 kilowatts will see an increase of $37.30, or 1.3 percent, from $2,973.34 to $3,010.64.
Con Edison expects to have adequate supplies of natural gas this winter to reliably serve its 1.1 million gas customers.
Con Edison is a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc. [NYSE: ED], one of the nation’s largest investor-owned energy companies, with approximately $15 billion in annual revenues for the year-end 2023 and $68 billion in assets as of June 30, 2024. The utility delivers electricity, natural gas and steam, and serves 3.7 million customers in New York City and Westchester County. For financial, operations and customer service information, visit conEd.com.
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