Setting Up Utilities on the North Shore: Electric, Gas and Water

Three separate suppliers handle the power, gas and water at a North Shore address, and each opens its own account. The table shows who does what. For the full sequence, see the moving checklist.

Who supplies what

The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) owns the electric transmission and distribution system serving all of Long Island. Its system serves over 1.2 million customers in Nassau and Suffolk counties. LIPA’s operating contract with Public Service Enterprise Group began January 1, 2014, and was written for a period of 12 years. PSEG Long Island’s own customer page describes it as operating and maintaining LIPA’s electric system and administering policies on its behalf.

LIPA was created in 1985 to acquire the Long Island Lighting Company’s electric and natural gas infrastructure. It acquired that company’s transmission system in May 1998. LIPA does not own or operate retail natural gas assets on Long Island. Gas customers deal with National Grid. Water is local: each district sets its own service area.

Electric: starting service with PSEG Long Island

PSEG Long Island’s start-service form asks for a valid Social Security Number or uploaded proper documentation. Once service is active, a My Account registration email arrives in three business days. The first bill arrives within the first 30 days of service. Payments are due 23 days after each bill is issued.

The same page lists the outage number, 1-800-490-0075, staffed 24/7. For billing and account questions, representatives answer Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, at 1-800-490-0025, and the TDD line is 711.

Billing, payment and meter reads

Bills arrive monthly or every two months, depending on the type of service. Optional Balanced Billing divides the electric cost into level monthly payments. Bills can be paid by mail, in person, by phone, in the mobile app or online. The free DirectPay program pays the bill automatically from a bank account 20 days after the bill date. A late payment charge of 1.5% per monthly billing period applies if payment is not received by the “Pay by” date.

If PSEG Long Island cannot read the meter for three consecutive billing cycles, it puts a message on the bill asking for a reading or a special appointment.

Gas: National Grid start, stop and transfer

National Grid asks for 5-7 days’ notice so it can schedule a crew member to visit the home and physically turn service on or off. For a move, it says to call at least a week beforehand to start, stop or transfer service to a new location. The line is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm.

Water: your local district

Water on the North Shore comes from water districts, and the one that serves you depends on your street. Two North Shore districts publish their service area on their home pages.

Jericho’s water is pumped from 26 wells that draw on the Magothy and Lloyd aquifers, and its board meets the first and third Wednesday of each month at 8:30am. Locust Valley’s system runs on six deep wells. The village and town halls list the local offices that can point you to the district for a street.

Falling behind on an electric bill

A customer having difficulty paying should contact PSEG Long Island to make a payment agreement. With a showing of financial need, there may be no down payment on money owed, and installments may be as low as $10 per month. PSEG Long Island does not shut off electric-heat service between November 1 and April 15 without first trying to contact the customer or another adult in the household. It does not terminate service for non-payment during extreme cold or heat. If loss of service poses a serious health or safety problem, service continues for at least 15 days while the utility tries to arrange a payment agreement.

Medical protections have their own rules:

• A medical emergency brings 30 days of continued service with a certificate from a doctor, local Board of Health, nurse practitioner or physician assistant.
• Electrically operated life-sustaining equipment keeps service on while medical certification is in place.
• Hospitalization of the customer or an immediate family member may bring a 30-day extension.
• Special protections may be available when everyone in the household is 62 or over, 18 or younger, blind or disabled.

The Friendly Follow-Up program lets a customer name a caregiver to receive duplicate copies of past due notices. After a shutoff, PSEG Long Island reconnects service within 24 hours once the amount is paid or a payment agreement is made, and there is a charge to turn service back on.

Deposits, shutoffs and your rights

New York’s Home Energy Fair Practices Act (HEFPA) sets the floor for residential electric and gas customers. PSEG Long Island’s own page tells residential customers they have rights under HEFPA.

The Department of Public Service lists these rules:

Service cannot be shut off for nonpayment on a public holiday, the day before a holiday, or the two-week period that includes Christmas and New Year’s Day.

PSEG Long Island’s posted policy is that it usually does not ask new residential customers for a deposit when opening an account. Existing customers may be asked for one if the account was delinquent or disconnected for non-payment in the last six months, and the deposit earns interest at a rate set by LIPA. The utility holds the deposit for one year, then refunds it with interest if payments were not delinquent. Start with the utility itself when a bill looks wrong. If the problem stays unresolved, the Department of Public Service HELPLINE is 1-800-342-3377, open 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on business days.

Renters and apartment buildings

A residential building tenant does not have to pay for electric service in any area outside their own dwelling unit, meaning the living area plus any area under the tenant’s exclusive control. In a building with three or more apartments where the landlord fails to pay the electric bill, tenants may be able to keep service on by joining to pay the bill. To request a Shared Meter Law summary or an investigation, call 1-800-490-0025. In an apartment or two-family house, the utility must notify tenants when a landlord does not pay the bill. A prospective renter can get up to 24 months of energy billing history from the date of the request, with the personal information of prior and current occupants removed. For lease terms, see tenant rights.