ALBANY, NY (Erie News Now)-- NEXT MONTH SOME NEW YORKERS COULD SEE AN INCREASE TO THEIR UTILITY BILLS.  

THE NEW YORK STATE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION RECENTLY VOTES ON A NEW THREE-YEAR RATE PLAN, CUTTING THE UTILITY COMPANIES NEW YORK STATE ELECTRIC AND GAS (NYSEG) AND ROCHESTER GAS AND ELECTRIC CORPORATION’S ORIGINAL PROPOSAL BY NEARLY 50 PERCENT.  

WHILE THE FINAL RATES ARE LESS THAN THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL, SOME LAWMAKERS SAid ANY INCREASE WILL STILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON NEW YORKERS.  

“Our community is still reeling from the impacts of the pandemic. Financially we can’t afford it and so we know as a state, we have to find a more equitable solution,” said Sen. Lea Webb (D-52nd Senate District).

STARTING IN NOVEMBER NYSEG CUSTOMERS USING 600 KILOWATTS OF ELECTRICITY PER MONTH WILL SEE ABOUT A TEN DOLLAR INCREASE TO THEIR BILL AND ABOUT A FIVE DOLLAR INCREASE FOR AN AVERAGE USE OF 100 THERMS OF HEAT PER MONTH. 

BOTH UTILITY COMPANIES ORiGINALLY PROPoSED TOTAL REVENUE RATE INCREASES RANGING FROM 11 TO 16 PERCENT FOR ELECTRIC AND AROUND 10 PERCENT FOR HEAT.  

THE PUBLIC SERVICE COmMISSiON NEGOTIATED THE TOTAL ELECTRIC RATES DOWN TO A RANGE OF six TO eight PERCENT AND ABOUT two PERCENT FOR HEAT OVER THE PERSPECTIVE YEARS.  

“Even though the rates were lower than what the companies wanted, they recognized that the rates were higher than the public would want but still we needed to find that balancing point,” said James Denn, director of public affairs for the New York State Public Service Commission.

 Sen. Webb said AS THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION APPROACHES, LAWMAKERS WILL BE LOOKING AT CONTINUING FUNDING FOR UTILITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.