A growing number of NYSEG customers in Sullivan County and beyond are reporting massive spikes in their electric bills this winter, with some seeing increases of several hundred dollars.
Rock Hill resident Tom O’Donohue saw his January bill jump to $834—nearly triple his highest previous bill. Shocked by the surge, he created a Facebook group where dozens of customers shared similar experiences, some with bills exceeding $1,000. Even those who don’t rely on electric heat or have opted out of smart meters reported extreme increases.
In response to mounting complaints, Assemblymember Paula Kay met with NYSEG’s CEO to demand answers. She acknowledged that winter rates and increased usage could contribute to higher bills but said they don’t explain such drastic spikes. Kay has arranged for NYSEG to hold a public meeting at the Sullivan County Government Center on February 27, from 10 AM to Noon and 5 PM to 7 PM. to address customer concerns.
NYSEG stated that winter usage naturally leads to higher bills and urged affected customers to reach out for assistance programs, including budget billing and HEAP. However, frustrated customers are calling for more action, with some even considering a class-action lawsuit.
Radio Catskill’s Patricio Robayo has more.
My electric bill has doubled in the last two months
My normal higher bill runs around $390 and this higher bill for same month $871. Been here 13 years until last month never had a bill over $400. I’m not even using my ceiling heat as I have in past years. I’m scared to see next months bill. I am in Madison County
I was told i had to get a smart meter and after that my bill went very high.
My bill as well. As soon as the smart meter was installed!
I have lived at my address in Monticello for almost 10 years i have electric heat so my bill is higher in the winter months running about 400-500 but this month my bill came in at 800
There is a problem that needs to be addressed. Something is wrong
Something is very wrong! We had a huge backed balance and just agreed to a payment plan. We paid 4,000$ and agreed to 9 payments after . They said the bill would be the payment plus the new charges, and I received a bill for over 3,000!! What the actual $&@&. I even called for help from heap and we do not qualify. Then myself says if we don’t pay they were shutting our power off… it’s a no win situation, now what do I do I can’t afford this nonsense! Our bill has tripled!
Thank you Paula Kay
I call bullshit! My house is closed for the winter and I just got a ridiculous high bill!! There is no heat on and the house is drained of water so why is my bill so high??
with the new smart meter our was 50–60 first 2 months now up to 155.00 last month its nuts n wife n i are both on ssi someboy needs to find out why????
I paid $80 for only a refrigerator for 1 month. I don’t live there in the winter. usually it’s $25.
Yes I live in Bethel and my electric bill has been higher than ever before 2 person household both work 40 hour’s a week. We do not have electric heat and use minimal power I don’t understand why the expensive bill every month not just the winter.
The answers that NYSEG gave Assemblymember Kay are ingenuous. Heap is based on income so not everyone with a large bill qualifies. And how do you budget bills that you never got before? Budgets are based on past usage. That is not an answer to how to pay these bills. NYSEG (Iberdrola) is not answering the question as to why did they go up so much.
Nyseg are thieves
Absolutely thrilled that Paula Kay responded to this concern. The fact that she was able to actually achieve results speaks volumes. I hope she stays on this one for all our us.
That’s terrible my bill is high too.
Mine went from 52.00 to 420.00!!!!
Hi I do appreciate this report today, but I wish it had been mentioned that NYSEG increased the delivery charge for the electricity by over 100% from December to January. The spokesperson from NYSEG who was quoted in the show did not mention this. Of course we all used more electricity in a month that was 10 degrees colder than the previous January on average. But the 100%+ increase in kw per hour delivery is the issue. It’s completely unjustifiable and I wish that had been brought to the attention of your listeners.
NYSEG is well known to me for this type of issue going back years. We have a weekend home upstate that no one lives in permanently inwinter or summer. With only a mini freege on and nothing else on our billing is always higher than our permanent home in N. J. Complaining to the state of New York does not help either. They seem to be on the same page . It’s a shame how they rip us off!
I received my NYSEG bill and I was very shocked and upset. It was $686.00. My 20 years living here my bill has never been that high. I had just finished paying the bill for $384 which I felt it was OK because the holidays I had my heat going more. It is good to know I am not alone. There is something very wrong.
Please sign our petition. Let lawmakers know of unjust fare hikes and added “storm recovery fees”announceds on February 13
https://www.change.org/NYSEG_UnjustPriceHikes
I have 2 homes on my farm. One home went from $175/$200 a month to $650 a month…… The farm house with the barn/shop went from $900 a month to $2700 a month. We even did our own meter reads and the bill was still ridiculiously high! I am baffled! I have called every month about both bills. We keep getting disconnect notices– How are we supposed to budget for $450 and $1800 increases! I get that there is a cost to doing business and rates will increase, but when your electric bill is higher than your mortage or rent, how is one supposed to live?
Central Hudson is out of hand also the delivery fees are double of what you use. Something has to be done with these electric companies and the politicians wants everyone go electric if we do we won’t have money to survive because the electric bills will take everything
My bill has been outrageous! The smart reader didn’t make it any better. Then was told if I didn’t allow them to install the smart reader that I would be charged an additional charge for not having it! The reason for the smart reader was for accuracy and for the reps to not come out and take the readings but I’ve seen them a handful of times in the last 4 years I’ve owned my home. Something has to change.
The bills this winter are crazy. My winter bill is almost triple. I have central air in the summer, my bill is usually double now since they put in those so called smart meters. I try to read it and it immediately closes. I can’t even read the meter. I didn’t ask for a new meter, nobody did. Everyone in the development is experiencing the same thing. I want my old meter back. I pay more for delivery that I do actual usage. It’s called price gouging!
Just for accuracy I want to point out that Paula Kay is not the assembly person for all of Sullivan county as you have reported. The towns of Fremont, Rockland and Neversink are no longer in that district.
Thank you anyway Paula for looking out for all of us!
I have lived in my house since 2011 and never have my bills been so high, there is nothing that has changed, there is no reason for our bills to be so high!!
My bill last month was $400. And then 4 days later another $500 was due. This month was another$600…last year my bill was anywhere from $700-$800 a couple months of the year. My bill should be around $150 and maybe $300 in the winter? This is just nuts! I’ve complained countless times and they’ve always given me an excuse.
This is outrageous, my bill for Jan $244.86, bill for Feb 1052.50, how is this possible ?
I have been at my address since 1994 and have never seen the electric bill go so high, even when in the past I would have some months I did use a lot it would only go up to $400 the most now it is outrageous, and I have been paying my bill and still getting shut off notices, I have kids in the house just like everyone one else who are paying $1000 and up plus what ever else, people were struggling before and now it’s 10x worse, some people were told that they would be charged if they did not get the smart meter installed, but I was just told today when I called about my bill again that we are being charged a fee for having the smart meter and I was never given the choice if I wanted it or not no one let me know about a fee or anything about my bill possibly going up the guy knocked on the door and said he was just putting in a new meter he made it seem like mine was too old, they should be telling people about the meters and give us the choice if we want them or not and not lie to people by saying they will be charged if they don’t get them when they forgot to mention you get charged for having them, ..if the CEO was in our position where we are, barley making ends meet and got stuck with something we didn’t ask for that jacking our bills up when half of us barley could afford the high bills we used to get . I’m pretty sure the CEO wouldn’t appreciate her Bill jacked up for no reason they are jacking the price and ripping us off and raping us because of the new smart meters we never signed no contract with them for these meters or agree with the price to go up when they install these meters we don’t deserve to pay these outrageous bills every month and while trying to get bills paid up at the same time it’s basically impossible unless you’re a rich person I wonder how Allen Gary feels about this. He’s a residence of Sullivan County for the longest time his owners of Bethel Woods. He owns a lot of property around Sullivan County majority of Sullivan county I wonder how he feels. Maybe he should go to the meeting as well on the 27th and let him speak for herself. I don’t care how much money you got when you see your bill get jacked up that much. Something is definitely wrong. I guess there’s gonna be a whole bunch of class a lawsuits happening against the CEO of electric company that’s what I’ve been seeing online well, I’ll be there on the 27th with my old bill compared to my new bill and I’m not just bringing one old bill I’m bringing a few of the old bills and all of the new bills and let’s compare them what they’re doing to us. People is very unfair. I went from paying $140 to $180 a month to straight $400 close to $500 a month now this is ridiculous.
Watch this video https://www.facebook.com/100092253714519/videos/646151347860806?idorvanity=1247482432927671
NYSEG thinks we’re idiots. When you contact them for an explanation of high bills, their response is to get on government assistance if you can’t afford the bill….
Wherever the class-action lawsuit is located, I want to get on it.