Syracuse (WSYR-TV) -- With a mild winter in Central New York so far, some of you may be getting a break on your National Grid bill, but believe it or not, you’re paying a fee because of it. The extra charge is starting to pop up on customers’ bills.
This isn’t a new fee, but one that happens whenever the weather is unusually warmer in the heating months, which is considered to be October through May.
If you look closely enough at your gas bill, under the gas delivery portion you’ll find the charge on the line that says “adjustment for changes from normal weather.”
The Public Service Commission says this is legal. A utility is allowed to make up some of what it loses in warmer weather to help pay for the fixed costs of delivery and the infrastructure.
This adjustment happens whenever the average temperatures in a given month are 2.2 percent above or below normal – so it does work both ways.
When it’s colder than normal and National Grid makes more than they need, there’s a refund. That happened last year when we had a rough winter.
The Public Service Commission says this is meant to protect you and the utility company from big variations in costs due to weather.
