Are you bracing yourself for another staggering National Grid bill in New York this winter? Brace yourself, because the worst is yet to come.
- Business (https://www.syracuse.com/business/)
- Published: Feb. 09, 2026, 7:00 a.m.
By
* Tim Knauss | tknauss@syracuse.com (https://www.syracuse.com/staff/tknauss/)
Syracuse, N.Y. — Residents in Upstate New York who rely on gas and electricity are projected to see their National Grid bills soar above $360 this February. This alarming increase is largely attributed to skyrocketing energy prices exacerbated by the bitterly cold weather.
If you thought the bills from November through January were tough to swallow, you might want to prepare yourself for even larger expenses next month.
On average, residential customers can expect an additional $75 added to their bills—representing a significant 26% rise compared to the same month last year, February 2025. If the frigid conditions persist throughout the month, bills could potentially climb even higher due to increased energy consumption.
February's hefty bill, which most households will receive in March, follows a quarter of the year where customers have already faced an average increase of $120 compared to last winter’s bills (https://www.syracuse.com/news/2026/01/why-your-national-grid-gas-and-electric-bill-in-central-ny-is-soaring.html).
The primary driver behind these higher February bills is the surge in wholesale prices for both electricity and gas, spurred by heightened demand during this exceptionally chilly winter. In New York, natural gas serves as the dominant heating fuel, and it also plays a critical role in determining electricity costs in the spot market.
As a result, customers can expect National Grid to charge around 70 cents per therm for natural gas supply this February (excluding delivery fees), marking an approximate 45% increase from last year.
When it comes to electricity, homeowners will face an average cost of about 12 cents per kilowatt-hour in February, which reflects a 29% increase compared to February 2025.
Additionally, we cannot overlook the recent rate hike approved by National Grid (https://www.syracuse.com/news/2025/08/state-approves-national-grid-rate-hike-that-will-increase-many-household-bills-by-600-a-year.html). The state has sanctioned increases in National Grid's delivery rates, with the initial adjustments taking effect in September. The New York Public Service Commission greenlighted a schedule that will gradually raise delivery costs by approximately 31% for electricity and 40% for natural gas over a three-year period.
According to National Grid, households are expected to see their natural gas bills rise by about $52 this February compared to the previous year. While much of this increase can be traced back to climbing supply prices (which the utility transmits to consumers without profit), roughly $13.50 of the rise is attributed to delivery fees (which include profits for the company).
For electric bills, typical households can anticipate an increase of approximately $23 compared to February 2025. Out of this, around $16 corresponds to the supply charge, while about $7 is due to elevated delivery costs.
In total, when factoring in delivery fees, customers should expect to pay around 25 cents per kilowatt-hour for electricity and $1.20 per therm for gas in February. For an average household utilizing approximately 600 kilowatt-hours and 180 therms, this results in a monthly bill of roughly $367.
Staff writer Tim Knauss is available for contact via email or phone at 315-470-3023.
With four decades of experience reporting on Central New York, Tim Knauss holds a position as a watchdog reporter within the public affairs team at Syracuse.com. He has recently addressed a range of topics, including injustices faced by various communities.
