Hey Hudson Valley: Having trouble paying your electric bill? Here are ways to get help
If you are having trouble paying your winter utility bills in the Hudson Valley, there are ways to get help, and reduce costs.
From budget billing plans to state energy assistance programs and tips to reduce your energy consumption, read on to learn more about what you can do to take some pressure off your wallet this winter.
The New York Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), can help qualifying customers get relief on their utility bills.
According to the state website, HEAP helps New Yorkers when it comes to heating and cooling their homes. Eligible residents can receive one regular HEAP benefit per year. There are also emergency HEAP benefits available if a resident is in danger of running out of fuel or having a utility service cut off.
HEAP can help you if you heat your home with resources like electricity, natural gas, oil, wood and more.
Residents can once again apply for regular HEAP benefits, as the program reopened Jan. 25.
Eligibilty for HEAP is based on factors such as income, primary heating source, household size and whether a person under the age of 6, aged 60 or older, or permanently disabled is a member of the household.
Benefits are based on actual usage, and "are paid directly to the vendor that supplies the household's primary source of heat," the HEAP webpage says.
For a full list of participating vendors, go to bit.ly/4ikvV9X. There you can search for vendors based on county and fuel type.
To learn more about the program, you can seek out your HEAP local district contact.
Westchester residents can call their local Department of Social Services office to learn about HEAP.
Customers in Rockland can call 845-364-3480 or 845-364-3486. In the event of an afterhours emergency, Rocklanders can call the County Sheriff's Department at 845-638-5400.
In Putnam, call 845-808-1500 or the Putnam County Sheriff's Dept. afterhours at 845-225-4300.
≽ For a full list of where to find your county's contact info, .
Con Edison, in a December news release, said customers who receive qualifying government assistance benefits can get a discount of up to $173 a month on energy bills through the energy affordability program. The company invested $300 million last year in energy assistance programs for low-income customers, according to a spokesperson for the utility.
Learn more: Utility bills are hitting Lower Hudson Valley residents hard. Why are they so high?
According to NYSEG, there are budget billing options and payment arrangements that can be made to help customers who can't afford to pay down existing bills.
"Having unpaid bills is stressful, but we want to make sure that customers are aware of the true driver of these high bills while also offering financial help for qualifying individuals," said Christine Alexander, NYSEG customer service vice president, said in a release. "We urge customers to contact us about assistance programs and budget billing."
For Con Edison customers, the company's assistance program can help those who qualify for a monthly discount if receiving benefits from various governmental programs. Customers who are in arrears can reach out about payment plans that spread out costs over time.
According to the Orange & Rockland website, qualifying customers can spread payments out evenly across a year with it's "average-use billing plan." Customers can call 1-877-434-4100 to learn more. Other options such as bill extension or considerations for special circumstances, such as hospitalization, are also available. Check the O&R website to learn more.
New York State offers rebates for energy-efficient upgrades to home heating systems and other innovations, like heat pumps. To find out what is available from the state, and from energy companies, head to cleanheat.ny.gov/find-available-rebates.
Con Ed also offers tips and incentives for installing energy-efficient equipment on its website.
According to Allan Drury, a Con Edison spokesperson, the best way to manage costs is to manage usage.
The Department of Public Service and the utility companies provide tips for customers, among them:
Install a programmable thermostat.
Lower the thermostat — each degree over 68 degrees can increase a customer's energy use by 3%.
Consider a cold wash: Switch the washing machine's setting to cold, which the utility said can cut energy use in half for washing one load.
Keep ducts and vents clean: A heating system will run more efficiently.
Make your refrigerator run more efficiently: Clean coils yearly and set a 38-degree temperature to conserve energy.
Open shades on sunny days and close them at night.
Insulate attics, foundations, heating ducts, and hot-water pipes.
Put caulk around windows and doors.
Are you receiving higher than usual electric and gas bills this winter? We want to hear from you. Learn more about how to .
Contributing: Lohud's Ashley Catherine Fontones
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: How Hudson Valley residents can get help paying electric and gas bills
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