WNY Could See A Heating Crisis This Winter Due To Huge Price Increases
Residents of Buffalo and Western New York should get ready to spend a massive amount on their heating bills this winter. National Fuel just announced that it is doubling its prices. This could lead to a crisis in WNY and around the state and winter is expected to be brutal this year.
The Company estimates that based on the current market prices, the average residential customer will pay $1,023 to heat their home this winter – November through March – with expected increases over last year hovering around 50%.
National Fuel says that residents of WNY haven't seen increases this significant in several years,
Locally, National Fuel customers haven’t seen winter heating season bills this high since 2008-2009.
This announcement by National Fuel comes on the heels of National Grids' announcement that its customers can expect to pay significantly more to heat their homes this winter,
Based on current market conditions, National Grid’s residential natural gas customers who use an average of 713 therms during the five-month winter heating season — November 1, 2022, to March 30, 2023 — are forecasted to pay about $263 more than last winter.
While some WNYers will be receiving tax relief checks of around $270 per person, that's just a fraction of what their heating bills could be for the season.
WNY residents who received the Empire State Child Credit and/or the Earned Income Credit on their 2021 state tax returns will receive money through the New York Department of Taxation and Finance. A $1.75 million fund will be used to provide relief checks in the amount of $270 per eligible person (on average). WNYers who are eligible should see checks hit their mailboxes or accounts by the end of October.
Heating Assistance Is Available For Eligible WNYers
- New York state’s one-time Electric & Gas Bill Relief credit program - customers currently in the arrears from a bill prior to May 1, 2022, have up until December 31, 2022, to apply for assistance to get caught up before winter (click here).
- The federal government offers aid through the Home Energy Assistance Program, which provides customers who meet certain income restrictions with financial grants to help pay home heating bills (click here).
- New York Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program - Monies are distributed through the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. (click here).