As the cold weather creeps in, more people are heating their homes. But some residents are concerned that already steep utility bills could climb even higher.
In June, NYSEG filed rate increase proposals to increase delivery rates by more than 30 percent for some customers. Under the proposal, the average NYSEG customer could see a 23 percent increase for electric bills and a 33 percent increase for gas bills. If approved by the Public Services Commission (PSC), NYSEG customers could see new rates take effect on May 1, 2026.
NYSEG has said that the increased rates are necessary to address aging infrastructure and the state’s growing energy demands.
“With thousands of miles of wire, aging substations, and utility poles over 40 years old throughout their service area, NYSEG and RG&E’s plan will modernize infrastructure so that customers see improved reliability, efficiency, and resiliency in an era of more extreme weather, while also increasing capacity to serve new business and economic growth,” stated NYSEG in a statement.
New York’s Assembly District 100 Assemblymember Paula Elaine Kay, who joined as a party to the NYSEG rate case, said that while major upgrades are necessary, increased costs can’t solely fall on ratepayers.
“There’s clearly a need, but the question is, how are our residents who already are struggling to pay their existing bills going to be able to pay 30 percent more?” said Kay. “The answer cannot be that all of this new infrastructure should be paid [for] by the current residents. There must be a different way to allocate that funding.”
As a party intervenor, Kay formally entered the PSC’s legal proceedings in August, meaning she and members of her office can directly correspond through the administrative law judges, submit interrogatories, and review all public comments and questions from other intervenors.
READ: NYSEG and RG&E Propose Steep Rate Hikes, Sparking Backlash Across Upstate NY
Kay says her office regularly fields calls from residents whose bills have doubled or even tripled. Oftentimes there were bill inaccuracies but sometimes, the increase in delivery charges didn’t correlate to higher usage. “It all didn’t quite match up,” said Kay.
Once all public testimonies are received and reviewed, Kay says it’s up to the administrative law judges to make a decision whether or not the NYSEG rate case will go to trial or essentially be settled.
Kay said she’s hopeful that the state can strike a balance between necessary infrastructure upgrades and who will absorb the costs.
“We’ve had the small wins. I really hope that we can figure out a way to have a bigger win here where we have a better infrastructure with perhaps a better method of who’s going to be paying the big bills.”
The Department of Public Service will host two virtual public hearings on Oct. 21 at 1 p.m. at 6 p.m. For those who cannot attend or prefer not to speak at a public statement hearing, you can submit comments by Oct. 24. You can find more information on the Department of Public Service’s website.
Local resources for utility bill support
- Public Utility Law Project (PULP) is a utility advocacy organization serving utility consumers. PULP’s phone number is 877-669-2572 and email is info@utilityproject.org.
- Assemblymember Paula Elaine Kay’s office is available to connect Sullivan and Orange county residents with utility assistance programs. You can reach their district office at 845-794-5807.
- NYSEG has several energy assistance programs to help consumers manage their electricity and gas bills. You can reach NYSEG at 888-315-1755 or on the NYSEG website.
Image: Exterior of NYSEG service truck (Photo Credit: Kimberly Izar)
We pay the highest utility bills in the states