New Yorkers: Get Ready To Pay More To Stay Warm This Winter

You know that moment when the house feels chilly, but you hesitate before turning up the heat? This winter, New Yorkers could be doing a whole lot more of that.

Keeping warm is expected to cost more, and households that use heating oil could face the biggest hit.

According to figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, heating oil is projected to reach $6.27 per gallon. That is nearly twice what it cost this time last year. Suddenly, getting the tank filled feels less like a routine expense and more like a major purchase.

And that bill arrives while we are already paying more to buy groceries, gas up the car, and cover everyday necessities.

Electric heating costs are also expected to increase. National Grid’s winter forecast estimates a rise of about 3 to 5 percent, or up to $39 more for the season.

Greg Olsen with the New York Office for the Aging says these increases will be especially difficult for people with limited incomes. When your budget is already stretched, there is only so much room to absorb another expense.

Some assistance could help take the pressure off. Governor Kathy Hochul announced that applications for the Home Energy Assistance Program, or HEAP, open November 2nd. Households must meet income and other eligibility requirements.

Hochul said approximately $400 million helped cover 1.3 million heating benefits last year, with similar support expected this year.

Nobody wants to spend winter worrying every time the furnace kicks on. But here we are.