New York already has requirements for utilities to offer deferred payment agreements before shutting off service, he noted. CON EDISON BEGINS WORK - PUT ON HOLD DUE TO COVID-19 - Energy Central During the early months of the pandemic, 34 states issued power shutoff moratoria, protecting residents facing economic hardship from having their lights and water shut off due to a late utility payment. Winter Preparedness | Department of Public Service Credit: Steve Haber. And with a moratorium on shutoffs running out, account holders could have to . Ms. Huba, who moved to Harlem from Texas last summer, was stunned when Con Edison sent her a monthly bill for $891 in January, double what she had paid just two months before. The proclamations said that customers "shall not be charged" late fees for energy, telecommunications, or water services between March 23, 2020, and September 30, 2021. All together, they owe over $1.7 billion, according to THE CITYs analysis of data provided to the state by 10 utility companies. Jackie Huba, who lives in Harlem, got a bill from Con Edison in January for $891, double what she was billed two months before. Plus, public power would likely lower bills. Millions of U.S. residents behind on bills are at risk of having their electricity, heat and ability to stir up a hot meal cut off on December 22 by private utility companies, just a day after the solstice heralds the colder states descent into true winters chill. Heres What You Can Do About It, are 60 or more days behind on their bills. Alabama leaves decision to utilities: When to cut off power for late The problem isnt new. While he quickly paid the balance, as he always does when he gets his energy bill, he called the termination notice "shocking and aggravating.". All rights reserved. ", In addition, the state agency said, Home Energy Fair Practices Act rules "require that a disconnection/termination notice must be printed in a size type capable of attracting immediate attention. To help with ballooning debt, online mutual aid groups across the country, such as @mutualaidmamas, @blackwomenexhale and @dsm_mutual_aid have been busy channeling utility assistance to those most in need. As Navarro writes, one of the biggest advantages of the public ownership model is that revenue is available to reinvest in community visions, rather than to bankroll what companies dictate, such as more fossil gas buildouts. keep you informed with the latest alerts and progress reports. City of Tallahassee Portland, Oregon, Electric Utility Engineer I/II/III The utility delivers electricity, natural gas and steam to 3.4 million customers in New York City and Westchester County, N.Y. For financial, operations and customer service information, visit www.conEd.com. Utility relief payments have yet to go out despite imminent end to Switching to more energy-efficient appliances, using LED bulbs instead of incandescent and washing laundry in cold water all help the cause, among other measures. The decision essentially meant gas and electric utilities would be barred from . Without a bailout, the state faces the largest tidal wave of shut-offs in New York history, said Richard Berkley, executive director of the Public Utility Law Project, an advocacy group. Modesto Irrigation District You will have to self-certify with the utility provider that you had a change in financial circumstances or loss of income due to COVID-19. You'll receive your first NRDC action alert and It's an effort to ease financial impacts to . Mark Harrington, a Newsday reporter since 1999, covers energy, wineries, Indian affairs and fisheries. ComEd Announces Comprehensive COVID-19 Package to Assist Customers and Her landlord knew this, she said, but he was aiming to sell the house, so he didnt want to invest in the fixes. A number of utilities, including Ameren, Con Edison, and Pacific Gas and Electric, also have ramped up assistance programs, which may offer deferred payment plans to those affected by COVID-19 . Many people, she said, wait to ask for help until they are on the brink. RALEIGH. Customers can also find great energy savings tips on the Con Edison website or by listening to its new podcast, Easy Tips on How to Save Energy at Home This Summer.. In 2019, the state passed the most ambitious state-level climate legislation in the country, requiring its electricity sector to be emissions free by 2040. PG&E, the utility responsible for some of California's deadliest fires, is hurting people by shutting off power. Long Beach officials shut off the gas at Dana Tanner's restaurant after she refused to close her outdoor patio to diners. None involved an actual shut-off. How utility, phone and internet companies are giving consumers a break during coronavirus pandemic. New Jersey has used $250 million in federal pandemic relief to expand programs to help people pay down, or even eliminate, their utility debts. The moratorium will be lifted on June 18, two days before a forecasted hotter-than-normal summer arrives. Per Governor Cuomos March 13, 2020 directive, all energy and water utilities operating under the states authority have been ordered to halt terminations of service for both commercial and residential customers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. prohibiting shutoffs during the COVID-19 state of emergency for non-payment of a utility bill; requiring reconnection, within 48 hours of disconnection, for utility service that had been shut off . The Executive Order issued today builds on the steps already taken by the California Public Utilities Commission for private water systems and more than 100 public water systems within the state that have adopted their own policies for not shutting off water service to residents facing financial distress during the health emergency. No, this shutoff protection is only a grace period to allow you more time to pay your bill. Visit https://t.co/QFnsFxkFZB! What utilities are protected from shutoff? Copyright 2023 Newsday. Beyond that, state law requires utility companies to notify you at least 35 days before shutting you off. Consumer Guide: Your Rights as a Residential Gas, Electric or Steam The increase in energy costs in the region paralleled the rate of inflation for energy nationwide, the bureaus data show. Steve Haber of Franklin Square received one on his most recent bill, an apparent mix-up that he said resulted from PSEG neglecting to send him a prior quarterly bill earlier this year. Back in New York, both the utility debt crisis and delay in rapid transition to renewables are a result of policies that favor private ownership, said Patrick Robbins, a coordinator with NYEDA. In New York and New Jersey alone, more than two million customers are in debt to companies that provide electricity, heat, water and broadband. Billions Are Available to Tackle Environmental Racism. States Are Letting Utility Companies Cut Off Power Just as - Truthout To the extent that the state is declaring areas of emergency, this should be part of the remedies the state deploys.. Youre not alone. Every year during the coldest parts of the winter, the major electric and gas utilities suspend service terminations for non-payment, the Department of Public Service said. If youre behind in your bills, you think its just you, right? she told Truthout. But the company says it . Those with diabetes should not be forced to pay $98 for a vial of insulin that costs $8 to manufacture, Sanders said. ConEd sent me confirmation that they canceled my service on 11/29/2021. Available data from other states and projections for New York State specifically, suggest that millions of New Yorkers are likely already behind on their utility bills, accumulating substantial arrears that would subject them to shutoff at their utilitys discretion without guaranteed protections from the state. https://t.co/mOoOyPQeSb. Illinois' moratorium on utility shut-offs during the COVID-19 pandemic ends Wednesday, but there is still help available for anyone who needs assistance paying bills from ComEd, North Shore Gas . Follow her on Twitter: @FirstArai. Were in a utility debt crisis, Johnson said. This weeks new law is a big step forward to achieve utility justice for marginalized communities. Please alert your security company of the outage. State Disclosures, Senior Attorney, Safe Water Initiative, People & Communities Program. Activists Push for Stronger Covid-19 Utility Shut-Off Protections The agency told him, "theyre not going to do anything anyway," to terminate his service because of the law barring shut-offs. NJ utilities: Start paying up or lose gas, electricity after March 15 What to Do If You're Having Trouble Paying Bills PUC Sr. Market Analyst (Program Spec VII) (00028762) The Executive Order also requires restoration of service to customers that were disconnected for non-payment She and her fianc kept three space heaters going to supplement the heat supplied by their oil-burning furnace. An executive act mandating utility debt cancellation would build on this legislation, as advocates characterize dealing with utility debt as a precondition to rolling out the kinds of equity-centered renewable energy programs in the states historic climate law. Magazine,Outside Magazine, on New England Public Radio and elsewhere. And its a particularly bad time for bills to go up for lots of people. The electric bill alone for January was nearly $600, she said. Seattle suspended water and electric shutoffs. PSEG Long Island, like many companies, has robust business continuity plans and emergency procedures that predate the COVID-19 outbreak. But utility payments are the tipping point. But for residential utility customers and families, this is an impossible task if their water is shut off for non-payment of a water bill. Utilities Face Pressure To Stop Shutting Off Services Amid Coronavirus Texas bans utility shut-offs during coronavirus outbreak | The Texas Pacific Energy Advisors Can't pay your power bill? Don't worry, you're safe for now as As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Con Edison crews and contractors will observe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state and city health guidelines. Senior decision-makers come together to connect around strategies and business trends affecting utilities. Pravin also suggests getting in touch with the Public Utility Law Project of New York, which provides utility rights training, helps residents apply for assistance and files complaints on behalf of ratepayers. Over the 25-year lifespan of a locally owned solar project, for instance, $5.4 million in electricity spending is directed back into local pockets, according to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Some states have gotten involved in notable ways too. This is not uncommon. Con Edison, the largest utility in the state serving most of New York City, had already informed the Department of Public Service it will suspend all shut-offs in the one-mile radius New Rochelle containment area, spokesperson Michael Clendenin said on Thursday. But 1.2 million households and more than 128,000 businesses across New York State are at least 60 days behind on energy bills, according to monthly reports submitted to the New York State Department of Public Service and analyzed by the Alliance For a Green Economy (AGREE). https://t.co/KMhXfOzG5y, We have the following new positions open at LawNY! Nurses at Health + Hospitals earn on average $12,000 less than their private sector counterparts. Utilities disconnect 116,000 Pa. households after state lifts In March 2023 all SNAP households in New York State will receive their normal benefit amount, without the added allotment. There are other assistance programs when it comes to paying down utility debt: This isnt a perfect solution, but using less energy means youll pay for less energy. And through the Utility Assistance Program, people who are elderly, blind, disabled, mentally impaired or in other qualifying situations may be eligible for cash grants. Now those companies are using the threat of shut-offs to collect for the first time in two years, and advocates fear that struggling utility customers will have to choose between heat and electricity and other necessities like food and medicine. If you are having trouble paying your electric, sewer, or water bills, you may be eligible to avoid disconnection through the Winter Termination Program. Coronavirus: National Grid, other NY utilities suspend shut-offs during In the cold spell that followed a mild December, the cost of electricity in the New York City region jumped 28 percent in January, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Typically customers receive notices about 20 days past an overdue bill, and then 15 days before the company plans to shut off service. With growing concerns about the economic impacts of a virtual shutdown of businesses and large events to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus, advocates are increasingly pushing financial relief for families. Most homes in the region are heated with gas, and many of the biggest generators of electricity in the region are fueled with it. Customers with higher income levels will be offered payment plans of at least one or two years.