![]() ![]() At the Suffolk County Water Authority, more than $13 million is past due over 90 days, up from $4 million before the COVID pandemic, chief executive Jeff Szabo said. The arrears problem isn't exclusive to energy. Residential customers more than 60 days late paying electric bills as of April, according to PSEG About 17,000 had received final termination notices that month. In April, PSEG reported to the state that there were 116,528 residential customers more than 60 days late paying some $90 million in back-due electric bills, and 7,850 had received final termination notices that month.įor National Grid, there were more than 55,550 residential customers of its 600,000 on Long Island at least 60 days late paying around $46.5 million in gas bills as of April. “It’s just going to put people further and further into debt.” “People’s usage is going to rise and electric bills could go much higher,” Donaldson said. Ian Donaldson, a policy aide for the New York Public Utility Law Project (or PULP), which advocates for low-income customers in utility matters, said that despite increased state funding for affordability, “We’re seeing arrears start to go up” again as the weather warms and the summer cooling season nears. ![]() “When you’re no longer working and making sure you’re not going to run out of money, you take a much closer look” at the bills, he said. When his PSEG bill spiked more than $200 in April, Ascher called at once and the utility acknowledged an error. The monthly PSEG bill is usually around $30, while his Common Energy bill is around $130 a month. “The cost of living here is ridiculous,” Ascher said, “and my experience is nothing is ever going down.” A year ago, he and his wife looked at homes in Delaware based on costs and taxes, but that's been put on hold He recently signed up for a community solar program called Common Energy that cuts his electric bill by 10%, a small amount but cheaper than if he had to buy solar panels himself.Ĭommunity solar programs are popping up across the state, giving those who can’t put solar panels on their own roof access to remotely located solar arrays. “My wife and I no longer work, and when you’re no longer working and prices start jumping all across the board a great deal, you do start taking a much harder look at what you’re paying,” Ascher said. The cost of utilities are key to whether businesses remain or relocate to Long Island, says Kyle Strober of the Association for a Better Long Island.īut it's not just businesses feeling the sting.Īlan Ascher of Wantagh has felt it too, and is doing what he can to trim utility costs. "Utility costs are always at the forefront when businesses analyze whether to remain on Long Island and our ability to attract businesses to relocate to Long Island," said Kyle Strober, executive director of the Association for a Better Long Island, which represents developers who are among LIPA’s biggest customers. And that is a problem of how rate cases are done in New York.”Īdvocates for businesses and their employees say that while rising expenses for electric, water, gas and communications are only part of the consideration when considering where to locate, the greater share they can take is making an impact. It’s happening in upstate and New York City and Long Island. ![]() “The utilities continue to come in and ask for double-digit rate increases. “The horizon doesn’t look good,” said Bill Ferris, the New York legislative representative for AARP, which advocates on behalf of seniors. Electric, gas prices not expected to declineĮxperts following the trends say they don’t expect prices to come down anytime soon, if ever. Rates for Suffolk County Water Authority customers jumped 4.8% in July, while a monthly service charge jumped 4.9%. Meanwhile, Liberty Utilities, the company that took over a large section of Nassau County’s water customers, announced it, too, would hike rates an average 34% next year, after customers of the former New York American Water bemoaned price hikes for years. Liberty in May said the requested increases were tied to “necessary plant investments, high tax burdens, the installation of advanced metering infrastructure, proposed low-income and arrearage management programs, and a fee-free program for electronic payment of Liberty NYW invoices.” ![]() By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. ![]()
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