ALBANY, NY — The New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) on July 17 adopted a new enhanced energy affordability policy (EEAP) that will provide energy bill discounts to gas and electric utility customers below median income, who do not qualify for existing low-income Energy Affordability Policy (EAP) programs, announced the PSC. 

The new program expands the State’s existing goal of holding low-income households’ energy utility bills to six percent or less of household income. The new policy also addresses program integration, eligibility, enrollment, benefit levels, utility budget levels and bill impacts, program evaluation and coordination with other State affordability programs.

“Affordability is a top priority, and today’s action will help more New Yorkers affordably power and heat their homes,” PSC Chair Rory M. Christian said. “This new Enhanced Energy Affordability Policy will allow hundreds of thousands more households to become eligible for utility bill relief.”

The 2023-2024 State Budget required the PSC to establish a discount program for utility customers below median income who do not qualify for low-income EAPs to achieve a target six percent energy burden. The PSC's new policy would achieve this directive in the most prudent manner and with the least impact to ratepayers by modeling the program off the existing EAP program and directing utilities to open enrollment within six months of the PSC's decision.

To be eligible, utility customers must be at or below the state median income or, in New York City and Nassau County, at or below area median income. The enhanced energy affordability policy leverages existing energy affordability policies and programs for low-income customers.

Since the PSC's establishment of the existing energy affordability policy in 2016, the State has had a goal for low-income customers to pay no more than 6 percent of their annual household income toward energy bills. The utility EAPs achieve this goal by providing low-income customers with bill payment assistance. Since 2017, EAPs have provided more than one million low-income New York households with billions of dollars in targeted utility bill relief.

The PSC expects the new program will help up to 1.6 million new households below median income qualify for benefits and will extend the existing benefits of New York’s energy affordability program to moderate-income households in addition to the State’s most vulnerable customers.