SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — This past winter, hundreds of Sullivan residents expressed outrage over soaring energy bills, namely from New York State Electric and Gas Company (NYSEG), claiming their bills doubled or tripled, and in some cases were higher than their mortgage bills. Now, just before the onset of summer’s cooling season, New York’s 19th District Congressional representative, Josh Riley, says he’s investigating upstate pricing practices by upstate utility companies and inviting residents to share their stories. 

State and local representatives have also tried to address the issues. Assembly member Paula Kay and state Sen. Peter Oberacker, with the aim of addressing an outcry from residents distressed over seemingly indiscriminate hikes in their NYSEG electric bills, hosted a workshop with NYSEG customer service in February. 

At the end of March, the county legislature passed an amended resolution that urged the Public Service Commission (PSC), the oversight body that approves utility rate increases, to scrutinize proposed delivery rates in the future from NYSEG, Orange & Rockland and Central Hudson.

Now, Riley, in a press release about the investigation, says he is asking for answers from utility companies as part of a broader push for accountability and lower costs. 

As part of the investigation, Riley sent a request to NYSEG demanding detailed billing data, an explanation of recent rate hikes, and clarity on whether customer payments are contributing to corporate profits overseas. Read the full letter at riley.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/riley.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/jr-nyseg-041625.pdf.

Riley also intervened in Central Hudson’s case, which sought another rate increase from the Public Service Commission; the Congressman is asking for input directly from residents to better understand how rising utility costs are affecting families across the district. NY-19 constituents are encouraged to share their experiences, concerns and utility bill information through a brief survey at iqconnect.house.gov/iqextranet/EForm.aspx?__cid=NY19JR&__fid=100027.

Assistance for energy bills has historically come from funding through the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), which was recently eliminated as a result of executive orders by the Trump administration. HEAP is designed to offset fuel and utility costs for eligible families or individuals, giving families money to subsidize their heating or cooling costs based on their income.

Despite the upcoming cooling season, Sullivan County Community Resource Commissioner Laura Quigley said no mechanism in place has been communicated to disperse the remaining $378 million in funding to states.