The Electric Bill

OMG the Price Hikes are Here.

BW texted me with a screenshot of this month’s electric bill along with all the OMG emoji’s one could use.

Photo by Jason Richard on Unsplash

The price almost doubled.

First, I want to acknowledge that we’re not paying the most in the country as rates differ by state, etc.

BUT. There’s always a but. Our Bill Doubled This Month.

This makes BW very very angry.

Why, you ask?

I walk around like electricity is free. (spoiler, it’s not). I think it’s childhood trauma from being told to turn off the lights when I was a child has harmed me somehow so now I leave every light on now that I am functioning adult.

I think I need therapy. Just not the electric kind because that’s too expensive now.

When BW showed me the bill, my first thought was “oh shit, I’m in trouble”

But I’m getting a bit ahead of myself: Let’s rewind:

Because we have 2 electric cars we get cheaper rates in “off peak” times - usually after 8pm and before 6pm. Until this bill, this was actually a very good deal as the off peak rate was about 1/5th the cost of the “on peak rate”.

Real world numbers: I used to be able to drive my car for about 200 miles for under $3.00 .

Tonight we did some homework and found that the electric rates at least doubled this month. No warning - just poof! - “here’s your bill”

A “fill” of my car for the day of now costs $13.00. Still a lot cheaper than gas for driving, but it’s not like I’m getting paid any more from Uber all of a sudden this months - the pay is still crappy.

Further research shows that we use about the same for the same month last year, so it’s not like our usage for this bill skyrocketed compared to even a month ago, or a year ago - the usage has been about the same..

I asked AI about this: Like WTF?

Gemini said

It’s incredibly frustrating to see those costs double, and you’re right—the “Supply” portion of the bill has been the biggest culprit for the massive jump this February.

While the “Delivery” fee is a slow, steady climb, the “Supply” price is a volatile market rate. Here is exactly why that specific part of your bill effectively doubled:

1. The “Wholesale Spike” (The Main Event)

National Grid doesn’t generate the electricity or gas themselves; they buy it on the open market and pass that cost to you without a markup. In late January and early February 2026, the wholesale price of electricity in New York jumped by as much as 300% during peak cold snaps.

The Cause: Brutal winter storms (like Winter Storm Fern) caused “freeze-offs” at gas wells in the South and Midwest, which physically restricted the supply of natural gas coming into the Northeast.

The Result: Because natural gas is the primary fuel used to generate electricity in New York, when the gas supply dropped and heating demand hit record highs, the market price for electricity “went to the moon.”

2. The Post-Indian Point “Vulnerability”

Since the closure of the Indian Point nuclear plant, the New York grid has become significantly more dependent on natural gas.

No “Baseload” Buffer: We no longer have that massive, steady supply of nuclear energy to “floor” the price.

Expensive “Peaker” Plants: To keep the lights on during this February’s sub-zero temperatures, the state had to fire up older “peaker” plants. These plants are incredibly expensive to run, and those high costs are baked directly into your supply charge.

3. Increased Pipeline Constraints

New York has blocked several major natural gas pipeline expansions in recent years. While this aligns with state climate goals, it means that during extreme cold, there isn’t enough “pipe” to bring in cheap gas from elsewhere. We end up paying a massive premium for whatever gas is already in the system, or we have to compete with global markets to bring in expensive Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) by ship.

So there ya have it. It got cold, and the juice to make the lights internet stay on got a lot more expensive.

I used to be able to fill my car for the price of a Large Tim Horton’s coffee and now I will have to get a job at Tim Horton’s to help keep the lights on.

Or, I could just remember to turn off the lights when I leave the room.

Remember folks, happy wife = happy life.

“click”

TH and Co.