CICERO, N.Y. (NCC News) — National Grid announced on Monday that heating bills are expected be lower from November 1 to March 31 than in previous years. The company predicts for total residential heating bills to be about $507, which is around $31 less than last year.
These low costs are due to the purchasing tactics of National Grid. By purchasing natural gas in wholesale, the company allows prices to remain low.
“[National Grid] purchased the commodity off of the market,” Virginia Limmiatis, a National Grid communications specialist, said. “And, that’s passed on directly to our customers without markup.”
The prices are gauged by specialists who study previous prices in conjunction with specialists who work to predict the prices of natural gas.
These low prices are beneficial to home dwellers across Upstate New York. Syracuse University students Harrison Daniell and Cecil Nelson both benefit from the lower heating bill prices, especially because they live in rental properties one year at a time.
“It’s nice that bills aren’t going up for once because it seems like nobody’s cutting us any slack,” Daniell said. “Having lower heating costs would definitely help.”
Daniell went on to say that he and his roommates have a common understanding when it comes to adjusting the thermostat. They generally leave the temperature at 68 degrees in an effort to keep the apartment warm but not spend too much money. Nelson, on the other hand, explained that that kind of compromise isn’t even a discussion in his apartment.
“The house has a mentality, I guess, that we don’t turn the heat on until the last minute. It’s usually pretty cold,” Nelson said. He went on to say that despite complaints about the cold, his roommates will keep the heat turned off until it becomes “too unbearably cold.”
The cost of heating during the winter is a big problem for a lot of people, especially low-income families. While lowering the temperature on the thermostat can help save money, John Bruckner, National Grid’s New York president, said there are other ways to conserve.
“Simple steps taken now, like changing furnace filters, increasing insulation, sealing windows and doors, and using LED light bulbs can help control energy costs this winter and all year around,” Bruckner said.
Because energy costs are usage are impacted by weather conditions, National Grid reminds people that predicted costs are approximate.
