Governor Hochul Announces Electric and Gas Utility Bill Credit Program for Low-Income Families | Governor Kathy Hochul
$567 Million Made Available to Help Low-Income Customers Pay Off Past Utility Bills
More Than 327,000 Low-Income New York Households to Directly Benefit
Bill Reduction Plan Wins Broad Support from Consumer Groups and Other Stakeholders
Governor Kathy Hochul announced today that a total of $567 million is available to help low-income electric and gas utility customers pay off past utility bills. The financial assistance program includes an estimated $557 million statewide COVID-19 bill credit program for low-income customers adopted today by the New York State Public Service Commission. Under the bill credit program, the PSC is leveraging the $250 million from the FY 2023 Enacted State Budget to require utilities to provide a one-time credit to customers enrolled in the Energy Affordability Program that will eliminate unpaid utility bills that have accrued through May 1, 2022. The program also authorizes the same relief for any eligible low-income customers that enroll in EAP by December 31, 2022.
"It's unacceptable that far too many New Yorkers are at risk of having their lights shut off for failure to pay their utility bills due to financial problems caused by the pandemic," Governor Hochul said. "To address this, I partnered with the State Legislature to appropriate $250 million toward reducing the burden of utility arrears. Today's action by the Public Service Commission builds on the budget appropriation and is a major step forward to help vulnerable New Yorkers maintain their utility services while they get back on their feet."
The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant financial hardship to low-income customers and resulted in the shuttering of businesses and widespread loss of jobs. The number of customers that have unpaid utility bills and the total dollar amount of unpaid utility bills has risen considerably since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, and this bill credit program provides financial relief to the most vulnerable residential customers in order to help them avoid having their utility services terminated for non-payment. More than 327,000 low-income New York households will directly benefit from the program.
