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Orange and Rockland Offers Consumer-Friendly Programs to Help Customers Save on Winter Bills; Urges Customers to Conserve Energy

  • Orange and Rockland Media Relations

  • Pearl River – October 13, 2023 -- 01:00 PM

Company Offers Payment Plans, Budget Billing, Low-Income Discounts

 

Orange and Rockland Utilities (O&R) is offering programs to help customers with their energy bills this winter, while also sharing tips for saving money by conserving and using energy wisely O&R offers Payment Plans and Assistance, including Budget Billing, which smooths customer’s costs out throughout the year so that customers can pay off balances over time, rather than all at once.

 

Customers who receive benefits from certain government programs may qualify for discounts on their monthly energy bills. O&R offers information on these and other Payment Plans and Assistance it has available for customers.

The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is set to open on November 1 to help qualified customers pay for heating their homes. Find out more qualification information on HEAP New York at Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) New York and visit myBenefits.ny.gov to apply.

O&R offers these programs out of an understanding that energy costs can represent a hardship, particularly for low- and moderate-income customers.

The best way for customers to take control of their bill is to manage their usage of gas and electricity. Customers can follow Tips for Lowering Your Energy Bill and check out the company’s energy efficiency incentives Rebates, Incentives, and Tax Credits for upgrades customers make to their homes.

 

Conserving is Key

Customers can save money on energy by using these tips:

  • Set thermostats at the lowest comfortable temperature. Whether you are using a gas furnace or an electric heat pump, each degree lower decreases heating costs. 
  • Make sure heating vents are not blocked by furniture, carpeting or anything else that could obstruct the flow of heat.
  • Have a qualified contractor clean and inspect your heating system.
  • Insulate hot-water pipes and warm-air ducts that pass through unheated areas. Clean or replace filters for your hot-air furnace and heat-pump.
  • Replace conventional light bulbs with LED bulbs, which are up to 10 times more efficient and are widely available and affordable.

 

Winter Energy Costs

O&R projects that gas bills this winter will be lower than last winter but that electric bills will be somewhat higher, both reflecting the market price of their respective commodities.

 

O&R 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. But O&R does take steps to keep energy bills as low as possible. These steps include locking in energy prices when energy is cheaper.

 

Natural gas supplies are expected to remain sufficient this winter, but any disruptions from interstate gas transmission providers or severe weather could constrain supplies. O&R remains vigilant in its monitoring of operational conditions.

 

O&R notes that energy costs can change quickly due to international events, economic trends, weather, and other factors. The company will continue to refine its winter pricing forecast.

 

The company currently projects that its typical residential natural gas heating customer using an average of 159 ccfs per month this winter will pay $243.98 a month from November 2023 to March 2024, 13.3 percent less than the average bill of $281.49 per month a year ago.

 

Based on current projections, a typical O&R residential electric customer using 600 kWh a month this winter will pay about $152.06 per month, a 5.1 percent increase over last winter’s $144.71 per month cost.

 

O&R’s Communities

O&R serves the following communities in New York: Airmont, Bloomingburg, Blooming Grove, Chester Town, Chester Village, Chestnut Ridge, Clarkstown, Crawford, Deerpark, Florida, Forestburgh, Goshen Town, Goshen Village, Grand View, Greenwood Lake, Greenville, Harriman, Haverstraw Town, Haverstraw Village, Highland Falls, Highlands, Hillburn, Kaser, Kiryas Joel, Lumberland, Mamakating, Middletown, Minisink, Monroe Town, Monroe Village, Montebello, Mount Hope, New Hempstead, New Square, Nyack, Orangetown, Otisville, Palm Tree, Piermont, Pomona, Port Jervis, Ramapo, Sloatsburg, South Blooming Grove, South Nyack, Spring Valley, Stony Point, Suffern, Tuxedo Town, Tuxedo Park, Unionville, Upper Nyack, Wesley Hills, Wallkill, Warwick Town, Warwick Village, Washingtonville, Wawayanda, West Haverstraw, Woodbury, Woodbury Village, Wurtsboro. 

 

About O&R

Orange and Rockland Utilities (O&R) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc. (Con Edison) (NYSE: ED), one of the nation’s largest investor-owned energy companies. Orange & Rockland is a regulated electric and gas utility that serves approximately 241,000 electric customers and 142,000 natural gas customers in New York. For additional information about O&R, please visit O&R’s Web site at www.oru.com.