Utility Debt Mounting for New Yorkers Looking for Current Help
Rising energy costs amid the pandemic are leaving some New Yorkers underwater.
https://www.thecity.nyc/economy/2022...r-current-help
Higher utility bills are compounding unprecedented levels of debt, and consumer advocates say more public funds should be allocated for people who are behind on their payments.
“We’ve never had a level of unpaid utility debt like this,” said Richard Berkley, executive director of the Public Utility Law Project. “These are unpaid bills that the people owe them have no reasonable likelihood of being able to handle so where we’re creating a multi generational debt.... It’s a massive crisis.”
Across the state, almost 1.3 million residential gas and electric customers are 60 or more days behind on their bills to the tune of over $1.7 billion, according to an analysis by THE CITY of data provided to the state by 10 utility companies.
That includes 411,694 residential Con Ed customers in New York City and Westchester, who collectively owe $819,224,604, based on figures for January 2022.
Nine of the utility companies submitted data for the same time period in 2020 before the pandemic. Since then, considering the same nine companies’ latest data, the number of residential customers in arrears increased by over 32% and the total debt owed more than doubled.
A statewide pandemic-related moratorium on utility shut-offs for nonpayment expired Dec. 22. Although utilities have not reported cutting any residential customer’s gas or electricity, many people behind on their bills have received termination notices, the data shows.
The city, state and utility companies have been encouraging customers to apply for assistance and to enroll in payment plans, but whether enough has been allocated to prevent shut-offs is an open question.
Meanwhile, Con Ed says it’s examining how its billing practices affect customers after the state requested a review — and New York City residential customers will receive a small credit for the supply rates.
“This level of price volatility is of concern to all,” state Public Service Commission Chair Rory Christian Thursday said at a commission meeting, during which he emphasized that neither Con Ed nor the state controls energy supply rates.
“This experience serves as a reminder that we must consider energy affordability in every action we take,” he added.
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