Uniondale, NY - July 31, 2015 - PSEG Long Island today released the Power Supply Charge for August. Effective tomorrow, the Power Supply Charge will be 6.7758 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh), approximately .0059 cents/kWh lower than the charge in effect one year ago in August 2014. For the average PSEG Long Island customer with a household consumption of 775 kWh a month, the Power Supply Charge portion of the bill will be just less than what was paid this month last year.
“The Power Supply Charge is a pass-through of fuel and purchased power costs,” said Paul Napoli, PSEG Long Island vice president of Power Markets. “We continuously look for ways to stabilize customers’ bills. Most recently, to generate savings for next year, we activated the voluntary Thermostat Energy Conservation Program. This program reduces the summer peak usage, reducing the amount of power to be purchased in advance for next summer.”
The Power Supply Charge for August is approximately 0.4412 cents more than last month’s Power Supply Charge, resulting in a nominal increase of $3.42 for the average customer’s Power Supply Charge portion of the bill. The change, which is in line with typical summer supply charges, is attributable to the normal monthly reconciliation of Power Supply Charge related accounts, including those for fuel price changes, carryover credits and/or debits, among other charges.
The monthly Power Supply Charge varies according to what it actually costs to purchase the electricity used by PSEG Long Island’s customers and is impacted by market prices and weather, among other factors. While there are months when the Power Supply Charge increases and other times when it decreases, on an annualized basis, the Power Supply Charge for PSEG Long Island’s customers, over the last two years, has been the least volatile among the major utilities in New York State.
The largest factor in determining a customer’s bill is how much electric is used. The following tips will help customers limit the impact of hot weather and better manage their usage:
- Keep your house warmer than normal when you are away, and lower the thermostat setting to 78° F only when you are at home and need cooling.
- Install a programmable thermostat.
- Use fans to circulate cool air.
- Set refrigerators and freezers to the most efficient temperatures. Recommended temperatures are 35-38° F for the fresh food compartment, and 0° F for freezers.
- Seal holes and cracks around doors and windows. Eliminate air leaks around window air conditioners with foam insulation or weather-stripping.
- Close blinds and draperies facing the sun to keep out the sun’s heat.
- Turn off power sources. TVs, computers and other electronic devices draw power when they are in standby mode or turned off but still plugged in. Plug electronics into power strips and turn off the power switch when the items are not in use.
- Use timers and motion detectors on indoor and outdoor lighting.
- Replace old appliances with new energy efficient Energy Star® appliances.
- Install whole-house fans to bring in cooler night-time air that can pre-cool a house and reduce energy use in the daytime.
PSEG Long Island customers are eligible to participate in programs to use less energy, which will help lower costs. Customers can take a quick online survey to see how much they can save by improving the energy efficiency of their home. For more information on efficiency programs and energy saving tips, visit PSEG Long Island here.
Customers who want to ease fluctuations in monthly bill payment amounts may want to consider PSEG Long Island’s Balanced Billing program. The total annual cost for electricity will remain the same, but customers have the convenience of a more predictable bill amount that would be due each month. The average monthly amount is based on the customer’s past energy use.