Easy Ways Central New Yorkers Can Save On National Grid Bills

When the weather is hot, you want to be cool and when it's cold outside you want your home to be warm. But that doesn't mean you need to have a higher utility bill.

In fact, adjusting the temperature just a degree or 2 could really make your wallet happy. I've put together some easy ways I've been able to save money and still be comfortable.

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Ways To Save 

• Adjusting your thermostat by just a few degrees. Lower it in the winter while you sleep or step out and raise it slightly during peak summer months.

• Applying caulk and weather-stripping around drafty doors and windows. Sealing these gaps keeps your home comfortable year-round.

READ MORE: No More Adjusting Our Clocks? 

• Check your online portal for specialized offerings. National Grid provides tools like Budget Plans to stabilize seasonal spikes, alongside various energy-efficiency rebates and audits. 

Olivier Le Moal

What I Do

Since we moved into our home, we've been paying almost the exact same National Grid bill month over month. Now, this is just a 2-adult household with 2 pets, so your savings may vary a little.

READ MORE: Find Cooling Centers in Central New York

I'm a huge fan of knowing what to expect month over month, so we signed up for the Budget Plan.

Basically, it calculates what your projected quarterly or annual usage is and splits the cost evenly throughout the year. No joke, our first bill in 2022 was around $180 and currently we only pay $238 each month for gas and electric.

We also signed up for the Connected Solutions program, which allows the utility company to make adjustments to our smart thermostat when energy demand spikes are forecasted.

Trust me, I know this is highly controversial, but we can override the change at any time. But if they control our thermostat a few times a year, we get rewarded with a gift card.

alexeys

If your home is like ours, the upstairs and downstairs very in temperatures. So, I placed a temperature sensor upstairs that's connected to our thermostat.

This lets me monitor different parts of our home to keep temperatures regulated.

Every home is different and everyone's lifestyles aren't the same, but savings are savings. Because my energy bills can't be $0, I'll get it as close as possible.