WORCESTER, Mass. - Francisca Negronciuz just found out how much more it's going to cost to heat her home this winter. National Grid announced prices for the average customer are going up 64 percent.
"How are we going to pay the bills?" Negronciuz said. "How are we going to go through the winter."
What You Need To Know
- National Grid is raising electricity and natural gas prices by an average of 64 percent starting November 1.
- Customers like Francisca Negronciuz are worried about how they'll pay the bills
- The Worcester Community Action Council's fuel assistance program helps renters and homeowners pay for utilities
It comes out to about $114 more on the monthly bill for electric customers and $50 more for natural gas consumers. Negronciuz lives in a single family home with two other people. The price increase starts November 1.
"I have to start talking with other people in my home. How are we going to do this?" Negronciuz said. "Don't use too much gas or electricity because they both are going to go up."
Prices for groceries and other necessities have been moor expensive for a while now. It's already caused Negronciuz to make some lifestyle changes.
"To the supermarket, I already shrink the list down because everything is going up," she said.
The Worcester Community Action Council said they expected prices to go up, but this is a lot more than they thought. Since National Grid shared the news, they've heard from several fuel assistance program applicants in a panic.
Their federally funded program helps renters and homeowners pay for gas and utilities.
"It was something you probably think was going to happen, but you didn't want to happen," Negronciuz said. "We need to see how we are going to do it. It's not just for the heating part, it is for everything because it is going to effect the budget of the whole house"