Only 775 of the nearly 600,000 potentially eligible Con Edison customers have enrolled for the state's expanded energy assistance program since it opened last month, the company said. The Energy Affordability Program helps eligible New Yorkers struggling to afford their utility bills by providing monthly discounts. Discount levels vary by household size and income. In New York City, someone who uses gas heat and whose income is less than 60% of the area median income - $68,050 for a single person and $97,200 for a household of four - would see discounts of more than $135 per month.
Local News Utilities say, simply put, the cost of everything from building materials to maintaining the infrastructure to labor has gone up. As the weather gets colder in New England, pending gas and electric bills start to become more nerve-racking, with ratepayers never seeming to know how high the cost will be. Meanwhile, New England ranks amongst the most expensive in utility bills in the country, with the Boston region outpacing the national average.
Soaring electric and utility bills nationwide are the new political bellwether for consumers heading into a pivotal 2026 midterm election cycle for the first time in recent history, replacing the typical hot-button items of fuel prices and grocery costs-most notably for eggs last year. While costly grid and severe weather upgrades have accounted for much of the price hikes of late, utility bills are projected to continue spiking for years to come because of the AI-driven data center boom and surging natural gas exports driving demand for new power generation and more fossil fuels.
With costs climbing across the US, energy prices stand out -made worse by record-breaking summer heat and recent waves scorching multiple states. Having endured several of them this season, I'm always searching for ways to cut back on energy use. There are many little things you can do that can shave dollars off your monthly energy bill, and they go beyond switching off the lights when you leave the room. Did you know you can save 3% for every 1°F increase in your thermostat?
It is alarming that nearly one in four Americans report being unable to pay their full energy bill for at least one month.
