Gas delivery rates for nearly 1.9 million customers in New York City and on Long Island could stay put through spring 2028, if state regulators sign off on a new plan from National Grid.
The utility filed what it is calling a Rate Stabilization Proposal on Friday, asking the state to freeze gas delivery rates for downstate customers through March 31, 2028. If the plan is approved, the delivery portion of those bills would remain unchanged for an extra year after a string of recent increases. National Grid says it would tap about $250 million in customer credits to pay for infrastructure work while keeping in place customer protections that were negotiated in its 2024 joint proposal.
In a press release carried by MarketScreener, the company describes the filing as an extension of the current rate plan for one additional year, covering April 1, 2027, through March 31, 2028. National Grid says the move would "provide meaningful financial relief" for households and businesses coming off a winter of record demand.
The request arrives on the heels of a state-approved joint proposal that already phased in delivery increases for downstate customers. Step adjustments took effect in September 2024 and again in April 2025 and April 2026, according to the case summary from the Public Service Commission. Those documents note that regulators sought to balance capital needs, safety and affordability in that earlier proceeding.
Not everyone is treating the new filing as a win. As reported by Gothamist, critics including Sane Energy Project director Kim Fraczek warn the utility may simply be delaying the pain and "will be back next year to do it again." To skeptics, a one-year freeze looks less like a gift and more like a temporary pause.
National Grid says the proposal would preserve the customer programs secured in the 2024 settlement, including energy-efficiency assistance and expanded multilingual support, while redirecting roughly $250 million in credits into pipeline and station work in its downstate territory. In its filing, summarized by MarketScreener, the company asks the Public Service Commission to approve the plan promptly and without material modification.
What Comes Next
The commission will now review the proposal, take comments from intervenors and could schedule hearings before issuing a decision. Major gas rate cases typically unfold over months, with rounds of filings and stakeholder input as regulators weigh reliability, emissions goals and affordability concerns. Department of Public Service guidance outlines the standard timeline for these reviews.
What It Means For Your Bill
The filing focuses on delivery charges, the part of a gas bill that pays for pipes, stations and local maintenance. It does not touch the wholesale commodity price of gas, which rises and falls with the market and can still move a customer's total monthly bill up or down. For more on how delivery and supply appear on your statement, see National Grid.
Customers should keep an eye on the PSC docket and on company notices for updates. If the commission takes up the proposal, expect months of filings, public comments and possibly hearings before a final order. During that stretch, delivery rates could be held steady even as other parts of gas bills continue to fluctuate.
