Electricity: What It Is and How to Manage Service, Bills, and Safety

Electricity is the flow of electric charge that powers lighting, appliances, heating and cooling, and electronics in homes and businesses. If you are a National Grid customer in New York or Massachusetts, the practical side of electricity comes down to four things: setting up or moving service, paying your bill, staying safe during outages, and managing your usage. This guide covers each, based on what National Grid publishes for its residential and business customers.

What Electricity Is and How It Reaches You

Electricity is delivered to your home or business through a utility's transmission and distribution system. National Grid provides natural gas and electricity to customers in New York and Massachusetts, including New York City, Long Island, and Upstate New York.

You do not choose the wires that reach your building, but you do manage the account tied to that service: who is responsible for it, how it is billed, and how it is paid.

Starting, Stopping, or Transferring Service

If you are moving, National Grid advises letting them know beforehand. The company's guidance is to schedule an appointment to start, stop, or transfer service the week before you move.

• Starting service: Schedule an appointment before your move-in date so power is active when you arrive.
• Stopping service: Notify National Grid before you leave so you are not billed for a property you no longer occupy.
• Transferring service: If you are moving within the service area, schedule the transfer in the same advance window.

The key point is timing: scheduling the week before avoids gaps in service or charges on an account you no longer use.

Paying Your Electricity Bill

National Grid lists several ways to pay and manage billing. These are the options named on its billing pages:

Two related programs are worth knowing:

• Budget plan: National Grid describes a budget plan that spreads your projected annual energy costs into more predictable monthly payments. This is useful if you want even bills year-round rather than seasonal spikes.
• Paperless billing: Cuts paper clutter and is presented as a way to simplify bill handling.

If you have a vision or hearing impairment, National Grid also lists an accessibility page for billing and payment support.

During Outages and Storms

National Grid provides a way to stay connected during outages and storms. The practical steps are:

1. Report the outage through your National Grid account or the reporting channel listed on your bill.
2. Stay connected for restoration updates rather than assuming a timeline.
3. Report a gas emergency separately if you smell gas — this is a distinct, urgent category from a power outage.

Keep your account contact details current so outage notifications reach you.

Managing Usage and Finding Savings

National Grid points customers to energy saving programs. These are the place to look if you want to reduce consumption or find available assistance:

• Energy saving programs: Listed on the National Grid site for residential and business customers.
• Budget plan: As above, smooths out payments rather than reducing total cost.

Start with the savings programs page for your region, since offerings differ between New York and Massachusetts.

Quick Reference

• Moving: Schedule start, stop, or transfer the week before you move.
• Bills: Pay online, automatically, or in person; go paperless if you prefer.
• Predictable payments: Enroll in a budget plan to spread annual costs monthly.
• Outages: Report and stay connected for updates.
• Gas emergency: Report separately and immediately.
• Savings: Check National Grid's energy saving programs for your region.

For account-specific actions, sign in to your National Grid account or use the billing and payment pages linked above.