Get ready for summer!
Learn how rising temperatures can impact your bill and explore tips and tools to help you manage your energy use.
How the warm weather affects your electricity use
How the weather and demand affect your bill
Manage your energy use and bill
Tips to reduce your energy usage
Summer safety tips
How the warm weather impacts your energy use
High temperatures may increase your electric and even your natural gas usage, which can have a major effect on your energy bill. Understand how it happens:
Hot weather makes your air conditioner run longer to maintain a comfortable temperature, which raises electricity use. Older or poorly maintained cooling systems consume even more energy! Check out our rebates to see if it’s worth upgrading your system.
Extra tip: Don’t forget your refrigerator and freezer also tend to use more energy in warmer weather.
During the summer months, we usually use more appliances like fans and pool pumps. This can have a big effect on your energy use, which reflects on your bill. Understand your needs and use your appliances wisely.
The Department of Energy states clogged filters or vents force systems to work up to 15% harder. Clean your filter once a month and vents once a year. It can also help with those annoying allergies!
Poor insulation lets hot air in and cool air out, increasing energy use. Check your home for air leaks and seal them. You can also explore our Home Insulation and Air Sealing Rebates to save on your annual energy use.
During spring and summer, the humidity is usually higher. Dehumidifiers work longer to remove moisture from the air, which increases energy use.
People tend to stay at home more during summer breaks or vacations, leading to higher use of electricity for electronics, lighting and appliances. The good news: spending more time outdoors can also help reduce your energy use.
All those extra showers can mean more hot water use—and more energy to heat it.
Whether you're cooking inside or out, if you have a natural gas stove, oven or grill, you might use natural gas. Summer usually means more time at home—and more cooking. It brings back great memories, right?
How the weather and demand affect your bill
Your bill includes supply and delivery charges based on how much energy you use. If you use more energy, which you tend to do when the weather is hot, your bill tends to be higher. Another factor that affects your total charges is the delivery and supply rates.
Delivery rates are approved by the Public Service Commission (PSC) and usually stay the same for longer periods. Supply rates change more often because they fluctuate according to the market.
In recent years, supply rates have been higher than average, especially during very hot or very cold weather. We do not control these costs. If we purchase supply on your behalf, we pass the cost on to you with no markup.
For Standard service (SC1), we plan ahead and buy energy supply in advance to try to keep supply rates more stable throughout the year. For Time-of-use (SC12) and Day-night customers (SC8), supply charges change based on when you use energy and market conditions, which can lead to more fluctuations.
You can compare past supply costs by reviewing your billing history, whether we or an energy service company (ESCO) purchased on your behalf. To check our supply prices, use our historical price tool.
Managing a higher bill during summer can be challenging and we understand that. If you need financial assistance, visit our Help With Bill page, where you’ll find a variety of support programs.
To learn more, explore our sample bill or visit our pricing page.
Manage your energy use and bill
Use our tools to help you track your usage and manage your energy bill, so you can make smart decisions all summer long.
Energy Manager
Energy Manager is the easiest way to track your energy use down to the hour, check weather impacts and understand the effect of your appliances on your bill.
Budget Billing
With Budget Billing, there are no surprises. Avoid seasonal fluctuations and pay a stable monthly payment based on your annual energy use over the past year.
Alerts
Stay in control with real-time usage alerts. Set them up in your account under Preferences - plus get outage and payment alerts, too!
Tips to reduce energy use
A few adjustments in your routine can make a big difference.
According to the DOE, you should set your air conditioning to 75° or higher during the warm season. You can save as much as 10% a year on cooling by simply turning your thermostat back 7°-10°F for 8 hours a day from its normal setting.
Whenever you’re not home, raise the temperature, unless you have a heat pump. With a programmable thermostat, you can do it anytime and anywhere. Explore Energy Star–certified smart thermostat options.
Poorly sealed ductwork allows conditioned air to leak, wasting energy and increasing cooling costs. Look for and seal any leaks in your ductwork.
Use a rolled towel or rug to seal gaps under doors and windows and keep cool air inside.
Close air conditioning vents in rooms you’re not using during the season. Keep your cool air where you actually need it.
Newer, high-efficiency systems use less energy and can lower your cooling costs. Explore our heat pump rebates and see if a heat pump is right for you.
Open curtains in the morning or later in the day to use natural light without adding heat. During the hottest hours, keep curtains closed—especially on west- and south-facing windows—to block heat and reduce cooling costs. Consider thermal or reflective curtains that reduce heat gain while still allowing some light.
If you are not in the room, turn off fans and while you’re at it, turn off the lights as well!
Opening the fridge or freezer door for long periods lets all the cold air escape, making it work longer to maintain temperatures. Decide what you need before opening the door. Same goes for the oven—use the window instead of opening the door all the time!
Skip the dryer and air-dry your clothes on a line or rack. It saves energy and helps your clothes last longer. It’s an easy way to cut down on energy use!
Grilling outdoors or cooking outside keeps your home cooler and reduces the need for air conditioning. And you won’t have to deal with lingering cooking smells inside your home!
Summer safety tips
From thunderstorms to digging, learn what to do to keep you and your family safe.
Extreme heat
Learn more about how extreme heat can impact your safety, energy use and bill on our Extreme Heat page — plus find safety tips, links to state cooling center resources, and information about available protections.
Planning to remodel or plant trees this summer? You could risk hitting underground utility lines. Contact UDig NY before work begins so underground utilities can be safely located and marked.
Keep a safe distance from power lines and never touch cables with any part of your body. This includes activities like trimming trees, flying drones or kites, and setting off fireworks.
Never use electrical cords or devices near water. For pools or hot tubs, make sure all electrical connections are properly grounded. Install ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets near water to help prevent electric shock.
Summer use often means more devices plugged in. Avoid overloading outlets by spreading out your devices and using power strips with surge protection.
Only use electrical devices and extension cords labeled for outdoor use. These are designed to handle moisture and heat. When possible, choose battery-powered tools to reduce risk.
Stay away from objects that conduct electricity, such as metal fences. If you see a downed power line, stay away and call 911 or 800.572.1131.
In case of flooding:
- Stay out of flooded basements! Energized wiring or outlets below the water line may pose a hazard. Natural gas service in a flooded basement may also pose a hazard.
- Contact us to have electricity service turned off. You should never attempt to turn off electricity and natural gas service yourself.
- Once flood waters have receded, it’s important you first work with an electrician and/or plumbing and heating contractor to have your equipment checked, repaired and ensure it’s safe. Depending on the electrical equipment impacted by flooding, an inspection by a certified electrical inspector may be required before service can be restored.
If you suspect a natural gas leak, get up, get out and get away! Then call us immediately at 800.572.1121 or 911 from a safe location.
Vacation mode: on
Enjoy your summer worry-free with our digital tools
eBill
Enroll in our paperless eBill service to receive your bill online. You get your bill even if you are in your summer haven!
AutoPay
Don’t worry about payments. With AutoPay, you can focus on what’s important: free time with your loved ones.
Mobile App
Check your bill, make payments, report outages anytime and anywhere with our Mobile App.