Starting from April 1st (Tuesday), the National Grid has increased gas rates for the New York City and Long Island areas. The rate adjustment is 5.1% for Brooklyn, Staten Island, and some parts of Queens, and 4.4% for Long Island and the Rockaway Peninsula.
This means that the monthly bill for typical residents in New York City will increase by approximately $9.61, while those in Long Island and the Rockaway Peninsula will see an increase of about $8.19. In September last year, the company implemented the first phase of rate hikes, with user bills in the New York City area increasing by an average of $30.18 (a 19.4% increase) and Long Island and Rockaway seeing an increase of $33.35 (a 22.3% increase).
This current increase is the second phase of a three-year price adjustment plan approved by the New York State Public Service Commission (NYS PSC) in August last year.
The third and final wave of rate hikes is scheduled to be implemented in April 2026, with gas rates in New York City set to rise by 11.1% and by 9.7% in Long Island. According to National Grid estimates, based on an average monthly gas usage of 83 therms, after the three waves of adjustments, New York City residents will spend an additional $61.88 on average each month, while Long Island residents will pay $60.35 more.
National Grid stated that the revenue from this adjustment will be used for several projects, including residential energy efficiency and insulation upgrades, subsidies for low- and moderate-income households, infrastructure updates, and improvements in language services.
However, the consecutive rate hikes have raised concerns among politicians. New York Congressman Richie Torres released a report stating that by the completion of the overall increase in 2026, users in Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island will each pay about $1,431 more on average. He criticized such steep increases as “shocking” and deemed them “difficult to afford and not sustainable” for working-class and middle-class families.
Torres also criticized Governor Hochul for not using her appointment power over the NYS PSC to control electricity and gas prices. The commission is responsible for approving price adjustments for all state utilities, with a new plan approved every three years.
In addition to National Grid, another major power company, Con Edison, has proposed a rate hike of 11.4% for electricity and 13.3% for gas starting from January 2026. Hochul has expressed opposition to this proposal.