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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShutterstock \/ Janet Julie Vanatko<\/p>\n
The gas itself is getting cheaper this winter, but the bill that lands in your mailbox is not.<\/p>\n
National Grid says<\/a> about 1.2 million customers in parts of Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island will pay an average of $87 more from November through March than they did last year.<\/p>\n That $87 is the average for the whole five-month season, not a monthly jump. Spread out, it comes to about $17.40 more per month, which is the kind of number you only notice when February arrives.<\/p>\n Blame delivery, not supply. Delivery charges for these customers will rise by an average of $211 over the winter, and they cover running and maintaining the pipes that carry gas to your stove and boiler.<\/p>\n The increase also includes upgrades to aging infrastructure and added supply capacity. The state approved the rate changes in 2024.<\/p>\n Supply costs are moving the other way. The American Gas Association says U.S. natural gas production hit a record high this year, and prices are 24% lower than last winter. National Grid also bought gas at fixed prices before the season to blunt any price spikes, and it bills supply at what it actually paid, with no markup.<\/p>\n Cheaper gas just doesn\u2019t cancel out the delivery hike. For a typical Brooklyn Union Gas household using 720 therms between November and March, the winter bill is projected at $1,772 before taxes<\/a>, up 5.2% from $1,684. Delivery climbs from $1,084 to $1,295, while supply drops from $410 to $295.<\/p>\n Long Island and the Rockaways get off lighter<\/p>\n About 570,000 customers on Long Island and in the Rockaways face a much smaller bump. Their delivery charges rise by an average of $125, but the supply savings eat almost all of it, leaving an average winter increase of just $5. <\/p>\n A typical KeySpan Gas East bill is projected at $1,468, practically unchanged.<\/p>\n What could change the number<\/p>\n Your real bill will depend on weather, energy prices and how much heat you burn. <\/p>\n National Grid spokesperson Brian Sapp says as much, and the National Weather Service forecasts a milder winter than last year. That matters, because National Grid says last winter was much colder than normal, and heavier usage pushed many bills past expectations.<\/p>\n So a mild January could shave your total. A brutal one could erase every bit of the supply savings.<\/p>\n Help is out there, so use it<\/p>\n Nearly $300 million in bill-discount support is available across National Grid\u2019s downstate service area. If paying the gas bill is already a stretch, National Grid urges customers to reach out early<\/a> instead of waiting for a past-due notice.<\/p>\n