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NYC & NJ Heat Wave 2026: Why Your Electric Bill Spikes — and How to Cut It
Updated on July 22, 2026
By the My Utility Search Editorial Team · Last updated June 2026
Summer electric bills across New York City and New Jersey spike during a heat wave for two reasons at once: air conditioning drives your usage up, and the per-kWh supply rate is seasonally higher when regional demand peaks. With temperatures running 90–100°F across the Northeast in 2026, both Con Edison (NYC) and PSE&G (NJ) customers feel it. The good news: you can’t change the heat, but you can shop your electricity supply and cut peak air-conditioning use — and this hub links every city guide to help you do it.
TL;DR — key takeaways
- Summer electric bills jump because AC load stacks on top of higher summer supply rates — the two move up together during a heat wave.
- In New York, Con Edison delivers and the state’s ESCO market is capped, so the win is a fixed rate plus lower AC use. In New Jersey, you can shop a competitive supplier on NJPowerSwitch.com for roughly 11% off PSE&G’s default.
- Con Edison’s all-in residential rate is near 29¢/kWh in 2026; PSE&G’s all-in is about 26¢/kWh, with a price to compare near 19.9¢.
- Find your city below: 10 electricity guides and 10 internet guides across NYC, Westchester, upstate NY, and northern NJ.
Why do summer electric bills spike in NYC and NJ?
A summer electric bill has two moving parts, and a heat wave pushes both. First, cooling is the single biggest load in a Northeast home — window and central AC can be 30–50% of a summer bill. Second, the supply (generation) price utilities charge is seasonally higher when everyone’s AC runs at once. Because recent rate increases at both Con Edison and PSE&G fall mostly on the supply side, the same hot week costs more in 2026 than it did a year ago.
New for 2026 in New Jersey: PSE&G’s optional time-of-use rate charges the most from 4–9 p.m. on weekdays — exactly when home AC peaks — so when you use power now matters, not just how much.
How much more does a heat wave cost?
📊 Con Edison’s average all-in residential rate is above $0.29/kWh in 2026 — nearly double the U.S. average — and a 2026 rate case raised the typical NYC bill about 5.7%, mostly from supply charges (Source: Con Edison; NY Department of Public Service).
📊 PSE&G’s all-in residential rate is near 26¢/kWh in 2026, and its supply “price to compare” is about 19.9¢/kWh; the lowest competitive supplier rate is around 17.6¢ — about 11% lower (Source: PSE&G; NJ competitive market data).
📊 A hot month can swing a single household’s summer electric bill by roughly $40–$80 versus a mild month, driven almost entirely by cooling (Source: My Utility Search analysis of Con Edison and PSE&G rates).
How to cut your summer electric bill
The playbook differs by state because the supply markets are different:
- New York (Con Edison): the state’s Reset Order caps mass-market ESCO plans at or near Con Ed’s default, so switching rarely beats the utility on price. Use an ESCO to lock a fixed rate for summer predictability or to choose verified NY renewable energy — then attack AC load. New York is a deregulated supply state, and you can compare offers on the state’s official ESCO marketplace.
- New Jersey (PSE&G): real supplier choice exists, so shop the supply portion free on NJPowerSwitch.com and lock a competitive rate below PSE&G’s price to compare (~11% savings). Decide on time-of-use only if you can shift load out of the 4–9 p.m. peak.
- Both states: raise the thermostat a few degrees, use a smart/timer thermostat, pre-cool before peak, seal windows, and ask your utility about budget billing to smooth the summer spike.
Find your city’s electricity rate guide
Each guide breaks down your local utility, current rates, and how to shop your supply to cut your summer electric bill:
- New York City: Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island (all Con Edison).
- Westchester & upstate NY: Yonkers (Con Edison), Buffalo (National Grid), and Rochester (RG&E).
- New Jersey: Newark and Jersey City (both PSE&G).
Heat keeps you home — make sure your internet holds up
When it’s 98°F out, more of life happens in the AC: remote work, streaming, gaming, school. A heat wave is a good moment to check you’re not overpaying for slow internet. These guides compare fiber, cable, and 5G Home at your address:
- New York City: Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island.
- Westchester & upstate NY: Yonkers, Buffalo, Rochester.
- New Jersey: Newark, Jersey City.
Paying Too Much for Electricity?
Rates change constantly, and loyalty rarely pays. Compare electricity plans available at your address — fixed-rate, variable, and green options, side by side.
Summer electric bills: frequently asked questions
Why is my electric bill so high in the summer? Summer electric bills rise because air conditioning sharply increases how many kWh you use, and the per-kWh supply rate is seasonally higher when regional demand peaks. In NYC and NJ, recent rate increases land mostly on the supply side, so a hot month costs more than it used to.
How can I lower my Con Edison bill in a heat wave? Con Edison’s supply market is capped, so the biggest levers are cutting AC load (higher thermostat, smart scheduling, sealing windows) and locking a fixed ESCO rate for price predictability. You can compare offers on New York’s official ESCO marketplace.
Can I save on my PSE&G bill this summer? Yes. New Jersey has real supplier choice — shop NJPowerSwitch.com and lock a competitive supply rate around 11% below PSE&G’s price to compare. Consider the time-of-use rate only if you can move usage out of the 4–9 p.m. peak.
How much can a heat wave add to my bill? A hot month can add roughly $40–$80 to a typical NYC or NJ summer electric bill versus a mild month, almost all of it from cooling.
Does shopping my electricity supplier interrupt my power? No. Your utility (Con Edison or PSE&G) still delivers the power and handles outages and billing; only the supply portion of the bill changes.
Sources
- NY Department of Public Service — Energy Competition (ESCO market)
- NJ Board of Public Utilities — NJ PowerSwitch
- National Weather Service — Heat safety
