ALBANY — The State Public Service Commission said it expects the state’s utilities will have adequate supplies of natural gas and electricity on hand to meet the demands of residential and commercial customers in New York. Meanwhile, due to a softening in global commodity costs of natural gas, heating oil, and propane prices are expected to be lower this winter, a relief for residential and commercial energy customers.
The agency said this winter’s gas bills are expected to be lower than last year due to lower gas commodity prices. Electric supply bills are expected to be slightly higher than last year due to increased capacity costs. On average, a residential electric customer using 600 kWh per month is expected to pay about $62 per month for supply this winter, up three percent from the same period a year ago, but the actual amount varies by utility.
The average residential customer using 708 therms of natural gas can expect to pay an estimated $193 per month during the winter heating season (November through March), down four percent from the same period a year ago, but the actual amount will vary widely by region due to the weather and usage. A colder-than-normal winter will cause usage and bills to increase.
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