BUFFALO, N.Y. — This month, we heard from several NYSEG customers with questions about their latest bills.
Some of their bills showed that they used two or three times as much electricity compared to the same month the year before.
When a lot of the people contacted customer service, they were told the bills were correct, and that's the amount of electricity they actually used. So, we talked with NYSEG on Thursday about how people can get a better handle on that.
Earlier this month, several 2 On Your Side viewers contacted us concerned that their NYSEG bills were much higher than they were last year at the same time. Many get a mix of actual and estimated readings throughout the year.
"Explain why sometimes you get an actual reading and why sometimes you get an estimated reading because I think that's where we're seeing the biggest swings on some of these bills that were sent to us," 2 On Your Side's Kelly Dudzik said.
"Yeah, Kelly, it all comes down to access and, you know, in some cases maybe with older homes, some of the meters may be inside. I know that might not be a case for a lot of your area, but this is why it's important for customers to submit their reads, or have a meter reader come in and get that read, because you want to make sure that you are billed based on your actual use," said Alexis Arnold, NYSEG communications manager.
Arnold said that usage may have spiked because of the holidays.
"Christmas lights on, had more people in the house, which generated an increase in energy consumption, so there are those factors involved. And sometimes, how are you heating your home?" Arnold said.
Arnold said using a space heater can really cause your usage to jump.
The supply price for electricity is also up, so she said if you get your supply through NYSEG, you will see about a $30 increase this winter on your bills. That rate is not set by NYSEG.
Also, to make sure you're getting billed for an actual reading every month, send in your meter reading.
"That's key. You can call it in. Customers don't realize they can take a photo and submit that as well," Arnold said.
"What should people look for on their meters, like if somebody has a really old meter, could that be an issue and would they be able to call and have somebody come out to check it out?" Dudzik asked.
Arnold said: "That is a concern. You should call the customer service team. They are equipped to walk customers through, you know, what's going on, let's take a look at your energy usage. They are able to compare that and try to find, you know, ways that there could be an issue and if they need to, they could send someone out to take a look."
Arnold also suggests having your heating and cooling system inspected each year by a professional to make sure it's running efficiently.
NYSEG also has resources to help you including energy saving tips and ways to get help paying your bill.