First summer in my Dyker apartment and the actual ConEd bill just made me choke. I have two window ACs (one in living room, one in bedroom) and gas radiator heat, but the electric reading was way higher than I thought. My landlord mentioned I should sign up for ConEd level billing like the previous tenant had. Is that actually a money saver or just a way to not feel the pain? I already set the AC to 74 and turn them off when I leave, but I'm still stunned. Would love to hear if anyone here does level billing and whether it really keeps the bill steady. New to paying my own ConEd bill, so be easy.

Ooh, I just signed up for level billing last week because my first summer bill was also brutal. I honestly thought it was a discount or a special rate. Now I'm worried I misunderstood. Do they just average your previous usage? My building is old and the previous tenant may have been home all day with a bunch of screens. Could my level amount be based on their crazy usage instead of mine? If so, yikes. Following this thread.

DykerNewbie, big_city_beth, settle in because level billing does not lower what you owe over 12 months. It just re-shuffles when you owe it.

ConEd's level billing (budget billing) takes an average of the past 12 months' usage at the service address, sometimes adjusted for weather and projected rates, and bills you roughly the same amount each month. Then, depending on your plan, there's either a periodic true-up or a final month where the difference between your actual usage and what you've paid is settled. You can end up with a credit or a balance due in that catch-up month.

In my experience renting in an old building with one window AC, level billing was great for avoiding a July surprise and a February shock when the gas heat ran old radiators. But the March true-up was annoying the first year: I had been paying below actual during a cold snap and owed a noticeable catch-up amount. The opposite can happen too—if you run the AC less, you might be credited.

Caveats: If your service address has limited history, the initial average may be based on an estimate from a similar property or the previous occupant, which is exactly what big_city_beth is asking. You can call ConEd and ask them to review the first level amount, especially if the unit was vacant or the prior tenant had very different habits. You should still submit your own readings if you can; do not rely on estimated reads forever.

For a small apartment, I'd say level billing is more of a budgeting tool, not a savings one. If you'd rather know exactly what you're using, pay actual and set aside extra for summer. If you want predictable monthly expenses, level billing is fine. Just don't call it a discount.

Otis covered it. I skip the level thing. I'd rather take the hit and then walk around the apartment in gym shorts with the AC off for a night. Honestly, two window units in a Dyker apartment—one of those should probably only run when you're in the room. I also threw a cheap door draft stopper on the bedroom door and it kept the cool from bleeding into the hallway. Not a solution, but it made the actual bill a little less stupid. If you're trying to budget, level billing can work; just don't ignore the true-up. I know too many people who thought the lower winter bill meant they were winning.

Thank you both. So if I just moved in and the previous tenant had the place practically empty for six months, the address history might be super low and my level amount could be too low at first, then I'll owe a ton later? That's the part that scares me. I'd rather know the damage each month. Also, MurrayHill_M, when you say one unit should only run when you're in the room—do you leave the bedroom one off all day and just blast it before bed? That might save me. I'm on the top floor so the heat comes up through the ceiling in August.

Do not sign up before you understand the true-up, DykerNewbie. I just did my first month of level billing and the amount they set was higher than my actual June bill last year. I freaked, called ConEd, and they said it's calculated on rolling usage and weather, and the rate changes too. They won't re-adjust until after a few months. I'm still in it, but now I feel like I'm just pre-paying. Also, top floor in August is no joke. I bought one of those reflective film rolls for my west-facing kitchen window and it actually helped during the afternoon. Not pretty, but neither is a huge bill.

I know Otis already gave the full breakdown, but my take: level billing is fine if your main problem is the unpredictability, not the amount. In a top-floor Dyker place with two window units, you're going to use electricity in August. No billing plan changes that. I don't do level because I can tolerate a ugly August bill if January is cheap. My super put a thermostat switch on the living room unit, so it shuts off at 72 instead of running all night. Little stuff like that cuts the true-up either way.

If you do sign up, set your own calendar reminder to check the rolling amount every November and April, because ConEd can adjust it mid-cycle. Otherwise you're just moving the pain around without looking at it.

big_city_beth, your level amount is probably based on previous usage at the address but not on the neighbor's meter (unless the meters are cross-wired, which is a whole different nightmare). If the old tenant was home all day, your average could be inflated. Call and ask if they can base it on a shorter window or add your own first meter read as a baseline. DykerNewbie, the too-low-then-true-up worry is real. If your address history was vacant, you might get a low level amount now and a catch-up in spring. That isn't cheaper. If you're disciplined, pay actual and park the difference in your savings account yourself. If you're not, level bill and don't spend the refund automatically.