It is NOT just the smart meters. I have lived in my home in Wayne County for 13 years. I have the residential day/night meter that was here when I moved in, and didn't even know there were other options. Once I saw the rates increasing and people talking about the concerns with the smart meters and the lower rates of the residential straight rates, I called NYSEG and opted out of the smart meter before they install it ($13.49 per month charge to do so), and requested they switch to the residential straight rate, as that rate is currently quite a bit lower per kwh than the day/night. They said they require we lock into a 12 month agreement to do so, and we have no choice but to switch, as it's the only way we can currently try to lower the outrageous bill, but we fear that they will suddenly skyrocket that rate next, even higher than the day/night rate, and we will be screwed even more than now!!! Is this their game?..... Make people think it's the smart meter so they can collect the monthly fees to opt out, and then raise the day/night rate to force people to switch to the straight rate which requires them install a new meter, so they can lock those customers into an even higher rate for 12 months? I can't help but wonder!!!....... I am on a monthly budget plan which is reassessed every year, and went up to $293 per month in November to account for the $900 balance I had remaining after 2024. Not a big deal, that's still affordable although it goes up every year so was unsure if why the $900 balance. But didn't look into it because again, that is a pretty typical process. I don't complain unless it's a very unjust issue. However, I noticed a couple weeks ago that I have a 1k balance already, after paying $600 in budget payments. I then saw that my bills for January and February have been almost $900 each month. We have electric heat, however do not use it except for a couple small spaces, and when I reviewed all my past year's usage, it was only 150kwh more than 2024 for those two months of usage. Which makes sense, as it's been a frigid winter. BUT ...the cost of the delivery rate alone is more than my budget payment is, at $400 per month, and the supply charges skyrocketed and now my electric bill is more than my monthly mortgage payment is!!! A normal winter, I would have a $300 bill, and it is TRIPLED with the same usage reported on all the bills that we have used over the last 13 years! THIS IS INSANE! Why isn't anyone helping us from the State or Federal government? And no, NYSEG assistance programs are NOT the answer, as most of us do not qualify for the jokingly low household income cap, and even if people do qualify, many receive a small benefit. How will $47 a month in assistance help here? Not to mention, HEAP and other programs RUN OUT OF FUNDS after a certain point in the season when funds are no longer available. No one can, or SHOULD have to pay triple electric bills every month that force us to choose to pay rent/mortgage, turn heat off and freeze in 10 degrees temperature, or not be able to feed our families because we need to choose between food or electric this month. We are middle class Americans, in NYS, and being forced to live like the poor or go homeless because of sketchy rate hike approvals made by those whom should be protecting us, and because our state government is not stepping up and protecting their citizens! NYC is their only focus while the rest of our state is expected to deal with the repercussions, and the fact that this has been happening for weeks and no one is helping PROVES IT! We are not complaining about little rate hikes here!!!!!!! These are triple a normal bill that already was expensive enough at $300...but now suddenly $900? For the same usage?! With the same meter I always have had?!!!! WHAT DO WE DO??!! HOW CAN WE LIVE WHEN THE ELECTRIC COMPANY THREATENS TO SHUT OFF ELECTRIC IF WE CANT PAY $900 BILLS EVERY MONTH?! Someone in a place of power.. please, help!!!!