Maintaining control of your energy budget requires a thorough understanding of the energy costs and fees on your monthly electric or gas bills. You might have questions about what the electricity or natural gas supply charges are about, what a kWh is, how they’re calculated, or you might be having other issues understanding your energy bills when you read your electricity bill or natural gas bill. Constellation wants to assist you in controlling your energy costs by educating you on energy costs and how your usage of electricity may impact your monthly bill as a whole.
Households in New York City are seeing big spikes in what they’re being charged this month, even though many aren’t using significantly more juice. We explain why, and what you can do.
You’re not the only one who recently received a shock from their electric bill.
Your bills typically increase when the temperature drops, especially if you use electric heating. But despite the fact that many Con Ed customers in New York City aren’t using significantly more electricity this month, their charges have increased significantly.
In a single month, Andrea Lewis’ bill more than tripled, going from $163 73 in December to a whopping $512. 07 by the end of January, she showed THE CITY.
Lewis, 28, who lives by herself in a one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn’s Prospect Lefferts Gardens, used nearly twice as much electricity during the most recent billing period as compared to the one before, which made sense given that she uses electricity for heat. However, the price increase of more than three times as much didn’t line up.
Every day she works from her office, keeping her electric heat set to between 60 and 65 degrees to keep her cat cozy. She called Con Ed to find out why her bill was so high, and a customer service representative suggested she try closing the window or call an electrician to check if any of her appliances were malfunctioning.
Lewis recalled, “I was like, ‘Is this really just a me problem?'” “It’s insane of a hike. It is clearly not an individual consumer issue. ”.
The dual structure of electricity bills and the increasingly global fuel market are the issues.
Though the issue is not unique to New York, these sticker shocks are tied to larger policy dilemmas about how the state will equitably implement the provisions of its climate law that calls for clean electric generation.
Jasmine Graham, an energy justice policy manager with the nonprofit WE ACT for Environmental Justice, pointed out that low-income and non-white utility customers “already spend a disproportionately higher percentage of their household income on energy and, being more likely to live in energy inefficient homes, often have a greater need for energy as well.”
In the meantime, New Yorkers — who already pay some of the highest prices for electricity in the country — are facing massive bills, compounding existing and pandemic-related financial hardships for many.
Lewis, an audio post-producer, said, “I haven’t factored my bills or my life around simply being warm.” She anticipates covering the bill for the time being, but not if she must pay an additional $300 per month going forward.
“It feels stressful to be home,” she said. “Will it always be this way, what changes it, what is the cause of it?”
More than 400,000 customers in the New York City area are at least two months behind on their bills. Here’s some quick info that may help if you’re one of them.
You’re not alone. Many Con Ed customers have complained that their bills increased by two or three times from one billing period to the next even though they didn’t use any more electricity.
And for many people, this is a particularly bad time for their bills to rise. Our reporting shows that, across the state, almost 1. 3 million residential gas and electric customers have unpaid bills for 60 or more days. All together, they owe over $1. 7 billion, according to THE CITY’s analysis of data that 10 utility companies provided to the state.
Included are 411,694 residential Con Ed customers in Westchester and New York City.
The supply charge, which covers the cost of the energy itself, and the delivery charge, which covers the cost of the infrastructure used to transport the energy from the generator to your home, are the two main charges on your utility bill.
The supply charge is constantly fluctuating and has recently been high. But it’s crucial to note that Con Ed does not determine those prices. Neither does the state, nor any regulatory agency.
Supply charges change as a function of the global fuel market. Electricity in New York state is largely generated by burning fossil fuels. Those fuels — mostly natural gas — are commodities, and in 2021, they drove energy prices to rise faster than any other commodity category, according to the U.S Energy Information Administration.
Like other commodities, the price fluctuates with supply and demand. In the winter, demand is high. And with gas increasingly exported to foreign countries, the domestic supply gets squeezed. That means fuel costs more.
In New York, electricity cost $0.256 per kilowatt hour in January 2022, a 20% rise from the $0.213 it cost last January, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the same time period, utility gas in New York cost $1.282 per therm last year and $1.497 this year, a 16.7% jump.
Our meter readers have assigned routes and schedules. They might occasionally be unable to read all the meters along their routes due to bad weather or other unforeseen issues. When this occurs, based on your prior electric bills, we estimate your electricity usage during that billing period. The next time your meter is read, any discrepancy between your estimated usage and actual usage is automatically adjusted. If a dog on or near your property blocked the meter reader’s access to your electric meter, your bill might be estimated. Meter readers won’t try to read an electric meter if there is a dog nearby in order to protect their safety. In order to protect our workers from needless risk, we kindly request that you keep your dog on a leash or in a carrier.
Sadly, there are times when customers may be late with their electric bill payments. When this occurs, we strongly advise our clients to get in touch with us to prevent an electric service disconnect. We view cutting off electric service for non-payment as a last resort and would much rather negotiate payment terms. Please get in touch with us if you need to speak to a customer service representative about a late payment.
Electricity is measured and priced in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Your bill is based on the amount of kilowatt-hours your electric meter records as your usage. A kWh of electricity costs one dollar and represents 1,000 watts of electricity used continuously for one hour. A 100-watt light bulb will consume one kWh of electricity in ten hours, as an illustration.
Understanding your electric bill: what’s a demand charge?
FAQ
What is the distribution charge on my consumers energy bill?
Distribution: This cost covers the equipment, maintenance, and operating costs involved in getting electricity from the transmission system to your home.
What is PG&E distribution charge?
A fee for the lower-voltage network of power poles, substations, and transformers that connects PG&E’s distribution lines to individual residences and commercial buildings
What is the average electric bill in NYC?
Electric bills in New York In New York, the average residential monthly electric bill is $214, which is determined by multiplying the average monthly consumption by the average electricity rate: 1,028 kWh * 21 /kWh.
Why is my con ed bill so high?
The market price of natural gas, which is unstable and also affects the cost of the electric market, is the main cause of the increases in customers’ bills.
Reference:
https://www.puc.pa.gov/general/consumer_ed/pdf/Electric_Bill_Breakdown_FS.pdf
https://www.thecity.nyc/2022/2/9/22925345/surging-con-ed-bills-leave-new-yorkers-with-electric-burns