{"id":123470,"date":"2026-02-05T03:43:21","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T03:43:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/123470\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T03:43:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T03:43:21","slug":"activists-protest-high-gas-bills-outside-brooklyns-national-grid-hq","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/123470\/","title":{"rendered":"Activists protest high gas bills outside Brooklyn\u2019s National Grid HQ"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Members of environmental and public interest organizations rallied Tuesday outside Downtown Brooklyn\u2019s National Grid headquarters. Photo: Food &amp; Water Watch<\/p>\n<p>DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN \u2014 Activists waving signs and outrageous utility bills gathered outside National Grid headquarters on Jay Street in Downtown Brooklyn on Tuesday to protest high prices and the negative environmental effects of oil and natural gas.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Local gas bills have skyrocketed, but National Grid says it\u2019s not their fault. \u201cEnergy prices have risen worldwide due to increased  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgridus.com\/MA-Business\/heatinghelp#:~:text=Helpful%20resources%20for%20your%20business,and%20services%20that%20can%20help.&amp;text=Save%20on%20some%20of%20your,energy%20saving%20programs%20and%20solutions.&amp;text=Proper%20insulation%20and%20air-sealing%20can%20lower%20costs%20year%20round.&amp;text=Heating%20has%20a%20big%20impact%20on%20your%20comfort%E2%80%94and%20your%20budget.&amp;text=Tips%20to%20help%20you%20lower%20costs%20year%20round.\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">global demand<\/a> and lagging production,\u201d the company says on its website. Adding to the increase are colder-than-normal temperatures.<\/p>\n<p>The rallygoers want Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the City Council to support a plan which would pay for energy-efficient heat pumps in low-income neighborhoods and phase out new gas boilers.<\/p>\n<p>New York City previously enacted  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nyc.gov\/site\/buildings\/codes\/ll154-building-electrification.page\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Local Law 154<\/a>, which would bar new gas hookups in residential buildings, phased in over a period of several years depending on building size.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt today\u2019s event, we called for an initial $10 million in the city\u2019s budget to subsidize heat pumps in low-income communities, as well as pushing for a policy to eventually require that when old boilers die they are replaced with heat pumps,\u201d Eric Weltman, senior organizer for  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/foodandwaterwatchNY\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Food &amp; Water Watch<\/a>, told the Brooklyn Eagle on Tuesday. \u201cThis campaign\u2019s goals are cutting energy bills, reducing air pollution and creating good union jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-366365\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GasFreeNYC-Brooklyn-February-3-2026-4-600x450.jpg\" alt=\"Members of environmental and public interest organizations rallied Tuesday outside Downtown Brooklyn\u2019s National Grid headquarters. Photo: Food &amp; Water Watch\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\"  \/>Activists waving signs and outrageous utility bills gathered outside National Grid headquarters on Jay Street in Downtown Brooklyn on Tuesday. Photo: Food &amp; Water Watch<\/p>\n<p>Other rally participants included members of New York Public Interest Research Group and New York Communities for Change.<\/p>\n<p>Plans by New York State and New York City to phase out future oil and gas installations are being challenged in court, however, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/subscriber.politicopro.com\/article\/eenews\/2025\/07\/25\/judge-backs-new-york-ban-on-gas-hookups-00475734\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Politico\u2019s E&amp;E News<\/a>. Trade and industry groups are challenging the city\u2019s Local Law 154 and the state\u2019s new building and energy codes that prevent gas infrastructure in certain buildings, the outlet reports.<\/p>\n<p>In related news, Brooklyn Community Board 9 invited residents to stop by 890 Nostrand Ave. on Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for an in-person session with National Grid Consumer Advocates, who will be available to meet one-on-one and connect residents with available energy assistance programs.<\/p>\n<p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSd5hEdpXLwpeWAPMPmcmdn--vHz1InXjphFdhedt_prXKoVFQ\/viewform\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ultima-reader-response.png\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t<br \/>\n<a class=\"related-articles comment-link\" style=\"clear: both;padding-top:6px;color:#6cc4e8;\" href=\"#comments\" title=\"Leave a Comment\"\/><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/brooklyneagle.com\/366108\/council-set-to-probe-freeze-response-as-17th-person-reported-dead\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26025572183240-250x250.jpg\" class=\"alignleft wp-post-image\" alt=\"Police direct traffic past a car stuck going across the Brooklyn Bridge as it snows on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in New York. Photo: Alyssa Goodman\/AP\" decoding=\"async\"  \/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCouncil set to probe freeze response as 17th person reported dead<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFebruary 4 |<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBrooklyn Eagle Staff\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/brooklyneagle.com\/365761\/deep-freeze-tests-city-sanitation-workers\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/010226_snow_trash-250x250.webp.webp\" class=\"alignleft wp-post-image\" alt=\"Piles of trash sat in the snow along Lafayette Avenue in Brooklyn, Feb. 2, 2026. Credit: Ben Fractenberg\/THE CITY\" decoding=\"async\"  \/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDeep freeze tests city sanitation workers<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFebruary 4 |<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKatie Honan, THE CITY\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/brooklyneagle.com\/365839\/brooklyns-winter-of-ice-and-snow\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Snow-scene-06-ice-East-River-Mary-Frost-250x250.jpeg\" class=\"alignleft wp-post-image\" alt=\"Ice floes traveled with the tide along the East River, causing NYC Ferry service to be suspended across all routes until future notice. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle\" decoding=\"async\"  \/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBrooklyn\u2019s winter of ice and snow<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFebruary 3 |<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMary Frost\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/brooklyneagle.com\/365534\/more-than-half-of-firms-failed-inspections\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/012226_heating_oil_truck_inspection-250x250.webp.webp\" class=\"alignleft wp-post-image\" alt=\"Heating oil truck drivers stop for an inspection at the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection\u2019s Greenpoint facility, Jan. 22, 2026. Credit: Ben Fractenberg\/THE CITY\" decoding=\"async\"  \/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetting burned on home heating oil? More than half of firms failed inspections<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFebruary 3 |<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Rhyannon Bartlett-Imadegawa and Juan Lasso, THE CITY\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Members of environmental and public interest organizations rallied Tuesday outside Downtown Brooklyn\u2019s National Grid headquarters. Photo: Food &amp;&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":123471,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[98,100,99,3076,5324,4760,5588,9,24,5325,63,53904,4648],"class_list":{"0":"post-123470","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-brooklyn","8":"tag-brooklyn","9":"tag-brooklyn-headlines","10":"tag-brooklyn-news","11":"tag-downtown-brooklyn","12":"tag-mary-frost","13":"tag-national-grid","14":"tag-natural-gas","15":"tag-new-york","16":"tag-new-york-city","17":"tag-no-paywall","18":"tag-nyc","19":"tag-oil-petroleum","20":"tag-protests"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=123470"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123470\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/123471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=123470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=123470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=123470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}