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Aid might cut $135 from that sky-high Con Ed bill, but few people are applying
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Feb 21, 2026
Modified Feb 26, 2026
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Frazao Studio Latino / Getty Images
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Feb 21, 2026
Modified Feb 26, 2026
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Only 775 of the nearly 600,000 potentially eligible Con Edison customers have enrolled for the state’s expanded energy assistance program since it opened last month, the company said.
The Enhanced Energy Affordability Program, or EEAP helps eligible New Yorkers struggling to afford their utility bills by providing monthly discounts. Discount levels vary by household size and income. In New York City, someone who uses gas heat and whose income is less than 60% of the area median income — $68,050 for a single person and $97,200 for a household of four — would see discounts of more than $135 per month.
An already existing program, known as EAP, has traditionally helped low-income New Yorkers already enrolled in other government assistance programs. But last month, the state broadened eligibility via the enhanced version of the program.
Ian Donaldson, a spokesperson for Public Utility Law Project, a ratepayer advocacy group that helps people understand their utility bills and connects them to resources, said it’s not uncommon for it to take some time for customers to learn about and apply to such programs.
“We do believe that once word starts to spread around about it opening up, that more households will enroll,” he said. “With regard to the application, I'll be honest, you do need to provide a lot of information and that can be somewhat arduous.”
Utility customers have been dealing with a double-whammy this winter: newly raised Con Edison rates and a weekslong cold stretch that had heaters running overtime.
In messages to their customers, both Con Edison and National Grid have been trying to prepare people for higher bills. National Grid warned customers of a close to a 10% bump in their bills following January’s storm and Arctic temperatures.
“We’ve experienced the coldest start to winter in more than a decade,” a recent email from Con Edison read. “Your next energy bill may be more than you’re used to seeing.”
Under the old rules, some customers were automatically enrolled in the affordability program, while others still had to apply, depending on which other benefit programs they were participating in. Over the last two years, Con Ed provided $500 million in bill discounts to a half-million customers through EAP, the company said.
Customers can apply through utility companies or through the state’s website.
Clarification: This post has been updated to clarify the names of the assistance programs.
Tagged
affordability
con edison
economy
energy
new york city
utilities
Catalina Gonella
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