The financial assistance program provides $567 million to help low-income electric and gas utility customers pay off overdue utility bills. (Photo: CNBC)
On July 28, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the launch of a financial assistance program to assist low-income customers in paying off overdue utility bills like electricity and gas.
According to Hochul’s office, the financial assistance program provides $567 million to help low-income electric and gas utility customers pay off overdue utility bills. The New York State Public Service Commission approved a $557 million statewide COVID-19 bill credit program (PSC).
The bill credit program provides financial relief to help many New Yorkers avoid having their utility services terminated, and more than 327,000 low-income households in New York will directly benefit.
“Low-income customer credits are expected to be posted to customer accounts beginning August 1, 2022, with consumers seeing the credit on their next billing cycle,” Hochul’s office said. “The vast majority of low-income customers of the major electric and gas companies will receive credits on their August bills.”
The program’s implementation “will be reflected on customers’ August bills” for those who are eligible and have previously enrolled in the Energy Affordability Program (EAP).
“Under the bill credit program, the PSC leveraged $250 million from the FY 2023 Enacted State Budget to require utilities to provide a one-time credit to customers enrolled in the EAP that will eliminate overdue utility bills accrued through May 1, 2022,” Hochul’s office says. The program also allows the same relief to be granted to eligible low-income customers who enroll in EAP by December 31, 2022.”
Many New York residents have experienced significant financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in an increase in customers with over utility bills since March 2020.
According to Hochul, the effort is the “largest low-income utility financial assistance program in the state’s history.”
Utility assistance can be obtained by calling the PSC’s helpline at 1-800-342-3377, and anyone eligible who enrolls in the EAP before December 31 will be included in the bill credit program.
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