If you live alone in New York, you probably know this struggle all too well, even without anyone needing to tell you. Every month, the electric bill arrives, whether it’s just you or a full house. The heat must stay on through the winter. The refrigerator keeps humming, no matter what. And lately, those everyday costs have started feeling even heavier if you’re the only one footing the bill.
A new analysis from energy comparison experts at Compare the Market found that New Yorkers living alone collectively spend nearly $1 billion more each year on energy costs than people living in households.
That puts New York fourth in the entire country for what researchers are calling the “singles tax.”
Nearly 2.5 Million New Yorkers Are Facing These Costs Alone
According to the report, New York has roughly 2.47 million single-person households. Together, those households spend an estimated $5.22 billion annually on energy bills. Researchers estimate that if those same residents were sharing living spaces, that total would drop to about $4.24 billion…