WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. (WKBW) — Western New Yorkers could be paying less to keep the heat on this upcoming winter.
According to Karen Merkel, a spokesperson for National Fuel, on average, residents spent over $800 last year to heat their homes.
"My heating costs were astronomical, absolutely astronomical," Celeste Onda, a Western New Yorker, said. "They were off the charts. I just got done paying my heating bill for the winter."
Thankfully, Merkel said heating costs for this winter could significantly decrease. National Fuel classifies "winter heating season" as November through March.
"National Fuel is predicting that customers will be seeing a 30% reduction in their home-heating bills for those winter months," Merkel said. "Customers will likely save at least $50 a month in their winter heating season bills, and that’s compared to what they spent last year.”
Merkel attributes last year's high prices to several economic spikes causing the price of natural gas to increase — including the war in Ukraine and supply and demand issues due to COVID-19.
Without these hurdles this year, National Fuel was able to purchase natural gas at approximately half the price as the year before.
“The cost of the natural gas that we purchased and put into storage is significantly less, and thus we can pass that savings onto our customers," Merkel said.
When do Western New Yorkers think is the appropriate time to turn on the heat?
"I like it a little cooler in the house because I don’t like to get everything all dried out, and then you’re just running the humidifier to get the moisture up," Onda said. "So about 55-degrees."
Edward Burgess, another Western New Yorker, said he will wait even longer.
"Until about freezing point, 32-degrees, I could wait," Burgess joked. "I’ll close the window if it’s too chilly.”
Merkel said National Fuel offers payment plans for residents who may be struggling to pay their heating bill.
"Approximately $1,400 of payment assistance is available if a customer is eligible," Merkel said. "If they call us, we can go through their individual circumstance.”
Merkel offered a few strategies to help keep the cost of heat as low as possible:
- Program your thermostat when you're not home to approximately 58-degrees, or about 10-degrees cooler than you typically keep your house
- Keeps doors closed on rooms you don't use
- Keep your water heater at approximately 120-degrees
For additional strategies, click here.
