Did you know that replacing just one mile of old gas pipe costs New Yorkers around $6 million — and that expense shows up on your utility bill? Every time your utility digs up a street to replace aging gas lines, New Yorkers foot the bill. That’s nearly $60,000 per customer per mile. It’s a hidden cost that adds up fast, especially as the gas system continues to age.
But there’s a better way — and it’s already working.
Instead of sinking millions into outdated infrastructure, New York has a smarter option: electrify neighborhoods with clean, modern energy systems. The New York Home Energy Affordable Transition (NY HEAT) Act is the key to making this shift — and it can save money while helping to reduce pollution.
The idea is simple: when a gas pipe reaches the end of its life, rather than replacing it, utilities can instead upgrade entire neighborhoods with heat pumps, all-electric appliances, and home weatherization — at no cost to the customer. These clean energy solutions are more efficient, safer, and eliminate the air pollution that gas systems create.
This isn’t just a theoretical concept – Con Edison has already proposed over 132 of these projects. In a recent analysis of 24 of those proposed projects, they found that ratepayers would save over $2.1 million compared to replacing old gas pipes. These projects also include free energy upgrades for customers, including:
Electric heat and hot water systems
Induction stoves and dryers
Weatherization, insulation, and energy efficiency improvements
Electrical panel upgrades
Full-service support for installation and use
These initial projects show what’s possible — just watch how a Bronx community was transformed through one of these projects.
But to bring them to scale across New York and bring the benefits to all communities, we need the NY HEAT Act.
This legislation gives utilities the flexibility to invest in cleaner, cost-effective alternatives and allows the Public Service Commission to approve electrification projects where they’re the smarter choice. By phasing out expensive gas pipe replacements and instead focusing on neighborhood-scale electrification, NY HEAT offers a more affordable, reliable, and sustainable path forward.
The best part? Customers don’t have to pay a dime for the upgrades. Just like gas infrastructure is paid for over time by all ratepayers, so too will these electrification projects — but with lower long-term costs.
Let’s stop investing in yesterday’s infrastructure. With the NY HEAT Act, we can build a cleaner, more affordable energy future for all New Yorkers — one neighborhood at a time.
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