Central Hudson Alerts Customers Of Higher Energy Costs

Central Hudson issued an alert on Thursday, Feb. 10 advising customers that there will be an increase in supply prices for both electricity and natural gas in the region due to a series of factors.

Natural gas bills are expected to be increased by approximately 19 percent, electricity bills are going up around 46 percent, and 29 percent for combination electric and natural gas bills.

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The company cited a colder than average winter and global energy factors that prompted an increase in demand and price for energy.

Officials noted that supply prices are market-based and not marked-up by Central Hudson.

According to the company, these factors were among the issues that led to higher prices for customers:

• Increased domestic demand due to colder weather this year as compared to last year;
• Constrained domestic pipeline capacity which curtails gas supplies;
• Lower electric production by renewable generators in the winter, which shifts power production to generators using natural gas;
• Regionally, an increased reliance on natural gas for power generation following the closure of Indian Point;
• Increased global demand for natural gas, as the United States is now a primary exporter of liquefied natural gas to Europe due to shortages there;
• Increase domestic demand for electricity and natural gas as the economy recovers from closures prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.


“Locally, this January featured sustained temperatures that were 11 percent colder than average and 16 percent colder than January 2021. This contributed to driving gas usage up more than 13 percent and electric usage up nearly 6 percent over January 2021,” Central Hudson Senior Vice President of Customer Services and Gas Operations Anthony Campagiorni said.

“The increased usage, coupled with international and domestic factors, has caused the market price of natural gas and electricity to rise here in our region and around the world,” he continued. “Natural gas has become a global commodity that not only heats our homes but is also heavily relied upon to produce electricity on demand and whenever needed.”

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