BINGHAMTON —  New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E) are reminding customers of available resources to help manage their energy bills. The Companies build and maintain a safe, reliable system to deliver electricity or natural gas to your home or business.

New York State opened the State’s electric and natural gas industries to competition in the 1990s. Changes in the markets provided an opportunity for consumers to choose who provides their energy supply; either their utility or a third-party supplier known as an Energy Services Company or ESCO.

Customers can purchase energy supply from the utility or choose another energy supplier. A customer’s delivery charges, made up of a basic service charge, delivery charge, transition charge and other surcharges are billed by NYSEG or RG&E regardless of a customer’s energy supplier.  These charges are what customers pay NYSEG or RG&E to transport energy. 

A customer’s supply charges, made up of a variable supply and a merchant function charge, is what customers pay to their energy supplier for the energy they use.  NYSEG and RG&E’s supply prices are variable based on market prices and passed through to customers without profit or markup. Some suppliers may offer a fixed price.

“It’s important to note that the price of electricity and natural gas change each month, as market prices fluctuate,” said Senior Director of NY Energy Services for NYSEG and RG&E, Pat Fox. “Part of NYSEG and RG&E’s commitment to our customers is ensuring we are always there for them by informing them of their options so they can make the best choice for their households or businesses.”

Customers can go to dps.ny.gov and select Power to Choose – Energy Competition under tools to find available supplier pricing by zip code. 

There may also be community choice energy programs that customers are auto enrolled in by their municipality. To learn more about those programs and how they work, visit: Community Choice Aggregation | Department of Public Service (ny.gov).

There are a number of additional resources that can help customers understand and manage their monthly bills. The companies offer energy-saving tips and programs that can help lower energy use and control costs, as well as payment plans and assistance programs to manage energy costs. Budget Billing can help spread seasonal energy costs from cooling or heating evenly over 12 months. While it’s not a savings plan and is adjusted based on customer’s energy use, it can help customers balance their bills throughout the year. Customers can learn more by visiting nyseg.com/UnderstandYourUsage or rge.com/UnderstandYourUsage.