Customers of Orange & Rockland Utilities should brace for significant increases in their energy bills, warns the utility company.

Last week, Con Edison alerted their customers about impending rate hikes this winter. This week O&R is saying that customers could see an increase of up to 44% on their bills.

The company says the increase is due to higher natural gas prices. O&R says higher natural gas prices will also affect the cost of electricity since power generation plants in the region run mainly on natural gas.

The company currently projects that its average residential natural gas heating customers using an average of 158 ccfs per month will pay $337 a month from November 2022 to March 2023, 44% more than the average bill of $234 a year earlier.

A typical O&R residential customer using 600 kWh a month this winter will pay about $174, a 28.8% increase over last winter's $135 based on current projections.

The company says it offers help for customers who are struggling with their bills. They can put customers on payment plans and assistance, so that they can pay off balances over time, rather than all at once.