Are Western New Yorkers Being Overcharged By National Fuel?

If your National Fuel bill has gone up in recent months, you are not alone.

One Western New Yorker asked the Buffalo subReddit for advice on their “through the roof” gas bill.

The post said:

Just got my gas bill for the month of Feb and it was $110 more than it has been the last two months. I rent a 3 bedroom first floor of a Buffalo house. Anyone else get a monster bill?

Edit: my usage was higher for some reason on this bill so that’s what driving the higher cost for the most part I believe.

Within hours, neighbors chimed in with advice on whether or not this increase is normal, what to do if the bill is too high, and how to manage the cost of your National Fuel bill. 

You may remember, WIVB Channel 4 warned the residents of Western New York that your gas bill would spike in the winter. 

The average heat bill in Western New York was predicted to increase by 43 percent over what you might have paid last year. 

The increase in billing has nothing to do with what’s happening in Russia and prices at the gas pump, but rather the cost of natural gas has been referred to by the company as a “commodity.”

National Fuel thought that a colder winter may reflect a price increase, though for the most part, it seems like the winter temperatures have been relatively tame. 

From November through March, the average heating bill in 2020-2021 cost approximately $498; now, the estimated average is $714.

Budget billing can help ease the costs for future natural gas price spikes.