Consumer Alert: New York Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection Offers Tips to Help New Yorkers Cut Winter Heating Costs

 

Resources are Available to help New Yorkers Weather the Cold Months

Long Winters Can Become an Economic Burden for New Yorkers

Secretary Mosley said: “As we approach the 2026 winter season, the NYS Division of Consumer Protection offers valuable information on available resources to help insulate your homes and wallets from the cold weather.”

The New York State Division of Consumer Protection is providing resources and tips to help mitigate high energy bills this coming winter. As the weather cools, New Yorkers turn up their thermostats and increase energy use. At a time when every penny counts, the Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection (DCP) is sharing resources to help New York households weather the cold months.

“Long winters can become an economic burden for New Yorkers who normally experience an increase in their energy bills, and may create upheaval in daily budgets,” said Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley. “As we approach the 2026 winter season, the NYS Division of Consumer Protection offers valuable information on available resources to help insulate your homes and wallets from the cold weather.”

ENERGY AND BILL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS:

• Energy Affordability Program (EAP): In September, Governor Hochul announced that half of all New York households are now eligible for relief through the Energy Affordability Program and the program has received over 38,000 applications in the last three weeks alone. New Yorkers should check eligibility guidelines and apply online via gov/EAP.
• Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) benefit is available for eligible New Yorkers. Visit the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance website to learn more.
• Additional State Assistance Programs: Programs include direct assistance to pay bills, low-interest loans for home energy efficiency projects, and assessments for energy efficiency upgrades for both homeowners and renters. Explore these resources and programs by visiting the NYS Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

COMMUNITY RESOURCES:

DCP has free resources to assist New Yorkers with their budgets, including:

• Money Savings Guide, offering more than 75 tips designed to help New Yorkers reduce everyday expenses, including energy bills and ideas on how to stretch their household budgets.
• Home Heating with Oil and Propane Guide, provide shopping guidance and help heating oil and propane fuel consumers reduce their heating bills.
• Community Workshops: The DCP Education and Outreach team is available to present Managing Utility Costs, which is an informative workshop available to be delivered both in person and via webinar. This presentation provides information about consumer rights, bill payment options, and financial assistance to help manage utility costs. Our webinars and workshops offer opportunities for live question and answer sessions. To learn more, please visit DCP’s Education and Outreach Program.

ENERGY-SAVING TIPS:

• Check Your Thermostat: Each degree you lower your thermostat can reduce fuel consumption by approximately 3%. Installing a programmable thermostat can automatically adjust the temperature based on your home, work, and sleep schedule and provide an estimated cost savings of 10-20% on your monthly heating and cooling bills.
• Improve Your Water Heater’s Efficiency: Water heating accounts for about 14% of your energy bill. Wrapping your water heater in insulation, lowering water temperatures, insulating hot water pipes, and limiting hot water use can all decrease your energy bill.
• Weatherize and Insulate Your Home: Help your home to retain heat during cold weather by insulating your attic and outside walls, sealing and insulating heating ducts, removing window air conditioners, wrapping wall air conditioners, and sealing any cracks around walls and windows.
• Get Your Heating System Tested and Tuned: Conduct annual checkups to help ensure the efficiency of your system. Replace your furnace filters at least every three months to keep your equipment running efficiently and consider replacing the filters once a month during heavy-use months such as the summer and winter.
• Use Radiators Efficiently: Move rugs and furniture away from heating vents and radiators. Blocked ducts can disrupt air circulation and cause an imbalance in a home’s heating system. Placing heat-resistant reflector panels between radiators and walls can help heat the room instead of the wall.
• Use Appliances Efficiently: Conserve energy with larger appliances, like setting your refrigerator no lower than 38-40 degrees and loading your dishwashers and washing machines to full capacity. Appliances with the EnergyStar label can save you 20% or more on your energy bills. To learn more about EnergyStar, visit their website.
• Get a Home Energy Audit: Conduct an energy audit of your home or apartment to determine where you can correct any problems or inefficiencies. Contact NYSERDA at Home Energy Assessment, energy audit, audit, home audit, home energy plan | NYSERDA for more information.
• Shut down your computer: Even in sleep mode, your computer can cost you over $100 a year! Don’t forget to turn off the monitor, it can use twice as much energy as the computer. Use an advanced power strip so that all computer accessories can be turned off with a single switch.
• Use rechargeable batteries and charging units: Rechargeable batteries are more cost-effective in the long term. Plug your battery charging system into a power strip to enable you to shut off power with the flick of a switch. For even more savings, use a power strip with a timer or a programmable power strip.
• Disconnect digital media players: Even when switched off, most electronics continue to draw power if they remain plugged in, often referred to as ghost electricity, vampire power or phantom power. To save energy, plug entertainment products such as game consoles, audio and video players into an advanced power strip to turn them all off when they are not in use.
• Stream smarter: Streaming content through a game console uses up to 10 times as much energy as streaming on a laptop or tablet. Consider using another kind of device to stream—like a Blu-ray player, set-top box or Smart TV that has earned an ENERGY STAR® label.

For more information on New York State home heating assistance and energy efficiency programs, visit NYSERDA at www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Home-Energy-Efficiency-Upgrades, NYS Department of Public Service at consumer-assistance-program-2025-26-final11-25.pdff or NYS Homes and Community Renewal at www.hcr.ny.gov/weatherization. For the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) visit the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance at www.otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/. 

About the New York State Division of Consumer Protection

Follow the New York Department of State on Facebook, X and Instagram and check in every Tuesday for more practical tips that educate and empower New York consumers on a variety of topics. Sign up to receive consumer alerts directly to your email or phone here.

The New York State Division of Consumer Protection provides voluntary mediation between a consumer and a business when a consumer has been unsuccessful at reaching a resolution on their own. The Consumer Assistance Helpline 1-800-697-1220 is available Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm, excluding State Holidays, and consumer complaints can be filed at any time at www.dos.ny.gov/consumer-protection. The Division can also be reached via X at @NYSConsumer or Facebook.