Attention upstate National Grid customers: your electric and natural gas delivery charges could be rising. So, if you’re about to compare Syracuse electricity prices to find a new provider, you’re going to want to consider the following numbers.
National Grid has requested delivery charge increases of 21.8% for electricity and 24.8% for natural gas. That averages out to $11 more for electricity and $10 for natural gas.
Again —that increase doesn’t effect the price you pay for the electricity or natural gas itself. This is just the delivery charge. Which means, everyone who relies on National Grid’s poles, wires, and pipes will get hit.
Fortunately, National Grid plans to phase in new rates through a multi-year agreement to mitigate customer impact. The rate hike is said to support the company’s investing of $2.7 billion over the next three years in its core electricity and gas networks across upstate New York, including advanced metering systems, improvements to distributions, and demonstration projects.
But if you’re looking for the cheapest electricity in Utica this spring, there’s no guarrantee the increase will happen.
That’s because the New York State Public Service Commission will determine whether the rate increase is proper and only then will it decide on how much the increase might be and how soon it will rise. If approved, would take effect April 1, 2018.
Stay tuned…