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Seasonal Bill Fluctuations

Seasonal Bill Fluctuations

Energy Costs During Heating and Cooling Seasons

Higher energy bills aren’t just a result of using more electricity or gas during extreme temperatures. As the seasons change, your heating and cooling systems have to work harder to maintain a comfortable indoor climate, leading to increased energy consumption—and often, higher energy prices.

But energy use alone isn’t the whole story. To truly understand why your bill fluctuates, it’s important to consider factors like supply pricing and other key components of your energy costs:

  1. Energy Supply Costs: The price of energy depends on supply and demand—when more people need and use energy, the price to purchase units of energy increases. Central Hudson purchases electricity and gas from power plants and natural gas suppliers, on behalf of its customers. Central Hudson charges customers the same price it pays, with no markup on prices, meaning the company does not profit from these charges. To view monthly supply prices, click here. 
  2. Energy Delivery Costs: This is the cost of delivering electricity and gas to your home. These rates are approved by the New York State Public Service Commission. These fixed rates are charged per kilowatt hour of electricity or per Ccf of gas used. The more energy you use, the higher your total delivery costs will be since delivery is based on the total units of energy consumed. For a detailed breakdown of what is included in delivery costs, click here.
  3. Taxes: These are government-imposed charges added to your bill.  

To keep costs as low as possible, it’s a good idea to make your home more energy-efficient during the shoulder months of spring and fall—before extreme temperatures hit. Take a look at our energy efficiency resources for some actionable steps.

Energy Efficiency Resources

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Energy-Saving Tips Booklet
This booklet provides no- and low-cost strategies to upgrade energy efficiency measures in your home to help reduce energy bills.

Energy-Saving Blog 
Tips on preparing your home for different seasons, how to slay your home's energy vampires, how making energy efficiency upgrades can really add up the savings, and more. 

Shop Local for Reduced Prices on DIY Weatherization Products
Central Hudson offers rebates and reduced pricing on items including caulk, weatherstripping, insulation, door sweeps, and more!  

Financing, Income-Eligible Programs and Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency Upgrades
Upgrade your home with the help of available financing, tax credits and other programs.  

 

 

 

 
 

Bill Payment Options

Budget Billing
BALANCE. It’s what our Budget Billing program provides. When you sign up for Budget Billing, your monthly budget payments will be uniform for 11 months and estimated based on your usage history. The bill for the 12th month will include a plus-or-minus adjustment to reflect your actual usage and energy charges incurred throughout the year. 

To enroll in Budget Billing, click here.

Payment Assistance Programs
If you need assistance due to unpaid bills, we offer an option to apply for deferred payment agreements so customers who have fallen behind on bills can get caught up. Additionally, our Good Neighbor Fund and public assistance programs such as HEAP are also available to assist income-eligible customers. 

Payment Assistance Programs