Rockland Electric Company Offering Assistance As Energy Market Prices Surge
Rockland Electric Company is urging customers to take action now that can help them manage costs this winter as market supply prices for electricity and natural gas are expected to be higher than last winter.
Though summer is still winding down, Rockland Electric Company, recognizing the hardship high bills can impose, is letting customers know what they can expect for electric costs in the winter of 2022-23 and steps they can take to soften the impact.
The company offers Tips for Lowering Your Energy Bill and a number of Payment Plans and Assistance, including Budget Billing, which smooths customer’s costs out throughout the year. The company encourages customers to check out its energy efficiency incentives for upgrades customers make to their homes. Rebates, Incentives, and Tax Credits.
Utility companies and customers across the Northeast are facing similar circumstances. The increases in customers’ bills are mainly due to increases in the market supply cost of natural gas, which is volatile and also influences electric market costs.
Rockland Electric Company purchases electricity for its customers for most of its load through an annual Basic Generation Service (BGS) auction. This is the mechanism that the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) requires all the state’s electric utilities to use to secure the electric supply requirements for their customers. Through the auction, New Jersey’s electric utilities buy a portion of their electric supply over a three-year period – one auction per year.
Rockland Electric Company does not set supply prices and does not make a profit on the supply.
The auction method this year shielded the prices somewhat from the market’s turbulence. A typical Rockland Electric Company residential customer using 925 kWh per month this winter is expected to see a bill increase of $10.09 from $166.76 to $176.85 or 6.1%.
The best strategy for Rockland Electric Company’s approximately 73,000 NJ energy customers is to carefully manage their usage.
The company offers help for customers who are struggling with their bills. Rockland Electric Company customers can go to www.oru.com/njbillhelp, so that they can seek help to pay their utility bills.
Energy Prices Are Rising Across the U.S.; Here’s a Guide on How Customers Can Manage Their Winter Bills
- Spread payments out evenly across the year. A Budget Billing Plan allows you to avoid large month-to-month changes in energy costs.
- Consider a payment agreement. A Payment Agreement can help you pay down an outstanding balance in manageable, monthly installments.
- Check your benefits. Find information about governmental assistance programs, such as Medicaid or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Customers enrolled in assistance programs may be eligible for discounts on their energy bills through Payment Plans and Assistance www.oru.com/njbillhelp.
- Go energy efficient. Upgrade your lights, thermostats, and other appliances through our Rebates, Incentives, and Tax Credits exclusive to our customers.
- Manage your use. Register for My Account and log in via our.com or our mobile app for an in-depth look at your hourly energy use.
