Good, Bad News for Pearl River Energy Bills This Winter, Says New York State Public Service Commission

Orange & Rockland and the state’s other utility companies have agreed to provide customers with more information and more refined tools to help customers manage their energy bills, in an effort to avoid last winter’s high prices and consumer problems, the PSC announced.

However, while energy prices are expected to be lower this winter in most of New York State, the PSC said, customers in the Lower Hudson Valley, which is part of a new capacity zone put into place by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in May, might see capacity prices increase this winter, as compared to last year.

The state’s major energy utilities — Central Hudson Gas and Electric Corporation, Consolidated Edison of New York, Inc., Corning Natural Gas Corporation, National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation, National Grid, New York State Electric & Gas Corporation, Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc., PSEG Long Island, Rochester Gas & Electric Corporation, and St. Lawrence Gas Company — have developed programs to assist customers in managing winter energy bills.

“New York energy consumers have the opportunity to choose from a large number of suppliers to lock in the price of energy they will pay and protect themselves from energy price volatility,” said Christopher Wentlent, New York Chair for the Retail Energy Supply Association.

Last winter’s cold weather caused electric commodity prices to increase to levels never experienced in the history of the New York Independent System Operator.

In addition to efforts by private providers, the PSC’s Power-to-Choose Web site has been enhanced to provide information on available fixed price energy options. This website, accessible from www.dps.ny.gov, allows customers to easily find fixed price energy products for electricity and natural gas service, identify those that may meet their needs, and directly link to providers of those products.