A landlord in Queens is so fed up with Con Ed’s exorbitant gas heating expenses that he is converting to dirtier home heating oil to heat one of his buildings.
Residential-building owner John Norton blamed New York’s “green” rules, claiming they are forcing customers like himself to leave natural gas by making it more expensive.
“I can’t afford the gas bills anymore — I’m tapped out,” Norton added, admitting he is already struggling to pay what he owes, as the utility disclosed it only expects to wring more out of users with fresh huge rate rises announced last week.
Norton, a certified plumber, gave The Post with a copy of a recent Con Ed bill, which revealed that the cost of delivering gas to one of his three six-family residential buildings was three times the price of the gas supply itself.
His total gas cost for the facility between October 23 and November 25 was $601.23.
The cost came up to $451.78 for gas transport and $149.45 for gas supply.
He also received a $200 late fee, totaling $801.23.
“That’s ridiculous,” said Norton, who contacted The Post after learning that ConEd plans to startle customers with double-digit increases next year.
The utility behemoth wants New York’s Public Service Commission to allow it to raise average electric bills by 11.4% and gas bills by 13.3% — a move that could cost customers $1,848 more per year than they paid in 2020.
Norton stated that he is purchasing a new $7,000 high-efficiency oil-hot-water boiler for at least one of his buildings to replace Con Ed-supplied gas.
He claims the change will save him hundreds of dollars per month by having the oil delivered directly to his home.
Norton has already secured a supplier for oil delivery.
He said that spending $3 per gallon for home heating oil to fill his 40-gallon boiler would reduce his monthly expense to $120.
“Now I can get rid of the gas delivery fee. What options do I have?” Norton stated.
“How can anyone keep up with that heating bill?”
Bronx Congressman Ritchie Torres criticized Con Edison’s delivery rates, which were approved by state regulators at the Public Service Commission appointed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, as excessive.
“Con Ed has consistently overcharged working and middle-class New Yorkers. Torres stated Sunday that Con Ed customers pay up to 200% more in gas delivery prices than National Grid customers.
“Instead of protecting the people of New York from price-gouging, Governor Kathy Hochul and the Public Service Commission have enabled ConEd to prey upon the working class and middle class in an age of inflation.”
In a statement released on Sunday, Con Edison justified the delivery prices approved by Albany officials.
“The delivery charge, set by the New York State Public Service Commission, covers the costs of running one of the nation’s most expansive and complex energy systems safely and reliably,” the electric company said.
“This involves the work of our highly trained planners, operators, and workers, as well as safety projects such as leak detection and main replacement, our first-in-the-nation home gas detectors, and a variety of other technology to ensure our customers have safe energy when they need it.
“The delivery charge includes taxes and levies levied by state and local governments, such as property taxes. These taxes and fees typically account for 25-30% of a gas heating customer’s bill and approximately 35% of the delivery expense.
“Con Edison is dedicated to keeping costs affordable while maintaining our top-notch safety standards, which are crucial in our uniquely dense service area.”
According to a source, taxes and fees accounted for around $158 of Norton’s total bill of $601.23.
A PSC representative stated that any customer who believes he has been overcharged or harmed can submit a complaint with the agency at https://dps.ny.gov/file-complaint.
Con Ed stated in its rate increase application that mandates require it to modernize the electricity grid in order to comply with a green agenda under the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.
The law’s aggressive plan calls for New York to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 and attain 100% zero-carbon electricity by 2040.
State legislation requires that all new buildings under seven floors be entirely electric by 2026, with larger structures following three years later in 2029.
Local Law 97, also known as the Climate Mobilization Emissions Law of 2019, limits greenhouse gas emissions from buildings in New York City in order to help the city achieve its objective of a 40% reduction in citywide emissions by 2030 and an 80% reduction by 2050.
Norton is also aligning himself with the green movement.
He is developing a new home on the Rockaway Peninsula that will be solar-powered and have its own battery storage system for storing electricity.
The Queens resident and businessman said he is so fed up with his utility expenses that he wants to go entirely “off the grid.”
“I’ll be so green out that you’ll regret it,” he told me.
