Mark Harrington, a Newsday reporter since 1999, covers energy, wineries, Indian affairs and fisheries. In all, according to reporting by New York Focus, household utility debt in New York increased by 119 percent between February 2020 and September 2021, with hundreds of thousands of shutoff notices sent in November. PUC Sr. Market Analyst (Program Spec VII) (00028762) We recognize that customers may experience financial difficulty as a result of the outbreak, whether they or a family member fall ill, are required to quarantine, or because their income is otherwise affected, said Michael Jennings, a spokesperson for Public Service Enterprise Group the parent company of Public Service Electric and Gas Company, New Jerseys largest utility in a statement. ", Just beneath is a note that says because of an allegedly unpaid balance, "your service is scheduled to be turned off if payment is not received by Oct. 19, 2020. Or, as in Ms. Riveras case, longer than that. In the winter, demand is high. Customers who enroll in a COVID-19 payment program can pay their past-due bills over a 24-month period without risk of having their utilities shut off. 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. That includes 411,694 residential Con Ed customers in New York City and Westchester. https://t.co/3O2HMhxgj6, We have the following new positions open at LawNY! Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. . As the weather warms, shut-offs of electric and gas service due to nonpayment tend to pick up. This is part of a larger system of unwillingness to actually do something about unaffordable energy, Pravin said. Con Edison will temporarily suspend any electric and gas shutoffs for customers that are having payment difficulties related to COVID-19 coronavirus. Without such a notice, consumers would not become eligible for financial assistance under the HEAP program. As the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic continues to have unprecedented impacts on the state, Georgia Power's suspension of disconnections is being extended following a vote by the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC). Leanna First-Arai is a freelancejournalistwho coversenvironmental and climate (in)justice. City of Santa Clara Bill assistance and a moratorium on utility shutoffs will be crucial during a potentially record hot summer. Consumer Law Staff Attorney DC Public Service Commission To live in New York, you have to be making a big amount of money to survive, Ms. Rivera said. If you have an issue with your utility and would like to file a complaint, please contact the Consumer Affairs Branch via phone at 1-800-649-7570 or via email at consumer-affairs@cpuc.ca.gov. China Photos/Getty Images. Natural Resources Defense Council 2023 Privacy Policy That message says, "Please note that due to COVID-19, shut-offs will not occur. The looming shutoffs come as public health officials warn the newest COVID-19 variant is spreading across the U.S. In addition, we are leveraging the guidance of the CDC, state and local authorities. Santa Clara, California, Financial Analyst We will Substantial Rehabilitations Could Help Explain Why. PSEG Long Island, like many companies, has robust business continuity plans and emergency procedures that predate the COVID-19 outbreak. They will still be responsible for the outstanding cost of their water service, they just will not face the risk of water being cut off for non-payment at this time. Ms. Inghilleri said she had never fallen so far behind on any bills that she had to seek assistance. 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 . But producing high-quality, independent work is not cost-free , If you found the piece above useful, informative, or inspiring, please consider supporting, Leanna First-Arai is a freelancejournalistwho coversenvironmental and climate (in)justice. All rights reserved, https://www.lawny.org/node/465/cortes-de-los-servicios-p%C3%BAblicos-du. Kathleen Kerr, the alliances director for utility assistance, said she was waiting for the bombardment of calls from people who had gotten shut-off notices. Asking for payment by pre-paid card, cash apps such as Venmo, or bitcoin. Major utilities have agreed to suspend utility shut-offs, a particular concern for people who may be out of work and cannot afford to pay their bills. The investor-owned Arizona Public Service, the largest electricity provider in the Southwestern state, told the Phoenix New Times it suspended customer disconnects for all nonpayment "for the immediate future." Pacific Gas & Electric Co., the troubled utility . Senior decision-makers come together to connect around strategies and business trends affecting utilities. He called the state Department of Public Service to complain, about the lack of a quarterly spring bill. Receiving this information does not make you a client of our office. On April 2, 2020, the Governor issued Executive Order N-42-20 prohibiting shut offs of water service to residences and critical infrastructure sector small businesses. Our reporting shows that, across the state, almost 1.3 million residential gas and electric customers are 60 or more days behind on their bills. The company is offering flexible payment plans that will be protected from service disconnection . Please alert your security company of the outage. The decision essentially meant gas and electric utilities would be barred from . AND I paid the rest of my balance off on 12/21/2021. Typically customers receive notices about 20 days past an overdue bill, and then 15 days before the company plans to shut off service. (Since interest is generally considered to be a penalty for non-payment it is probably included in "late fees.") There is no similar prohibition for sewer or storm water . Republicans have introduced several bills aimed at bolstering the fossil fuel industry, seemingly at all costs. Hit By Soaring Con Ed Bills? How utility, phone and internet companies are giving consumers a break during coronavirus pandemic. Utility Bills Piled Up During the Pandemic. The looming power shutoffs come just as public health officials warn that the newest and most infectious COVID-19 variant has been detected in the majority of U.S. states. Josue De Luna Navarro is the author of a recent report published by the Institute for Policy Studies that outlines a public power roadmap for New Mexico. The risk is 250,000 times greater than the level considered acceptable by the EPA division that approves new chemicals. New York State outlawed the practice of shutting off service for nonpayment during the COVID-19 pandemic, but that's not stopping PSEG from including termination notes for not paying. To view this article in Spanish, visit here:https://www.lawny.org/node/465/cortes-de-los-servicios-p%C3%BAblicos-du. Folsom, California, Sr. Electrical Engineer Per Governor Cuomo's March 13, 2020 directive, all energy and water utilities operating under the state's authority have been ordered to halt terminations of service for both commercial and residential customers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Winter Termination Program. New Jerseys moratorium, one of the last in effect, expired on March 15. Electric, natural gas, steam, landline telephones, internet, and both public and private water services. If you are having trouble paying your electric, sewer, or water bills, you may be eligible to avoid disconnection through the Winter Termination Program. Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. . This new law provides several important safeguards for residential utility customers by: One limitation of this new law is that it requires reconnections only for utility services that were terminated during the COVID-19 state of emergency. Many people, she said, wait to ask for help until they are on the brink. Battery Energy Storage Systems Will Make the City Greener and Theyre a Lot Safer Than E-Bike Batteries, If youre eligible for HEAP but behind on bills, you can apply for, And if youre at risk of having your heat shut off: more than $90 million is available through, For those not eligible for HEAP, theres the. Top NYPD official tells businesses to demand patrons remove masks in order to enter, Gibsons State of the Borough address aims high amid systemic challenges, Flushing business owners meet with 109th Precinct officers to discuss crime prevention strategies following jewelry, Mayor names Brooklyn Navy Yard as site for $20 million, Calls from Moscow follows four queer Cuban migrants holed up. April 7, 2020. Public Works will NOT SHUT OFF OR STOP SERVICES for customers who are delinquent or behind in service or permit payments until this order is lifted. That will take a lot of weight off me, she said, though she expressed uncertainty about how she would stay current on her utilities, given that she is also behind on the $1,800 monthly rent on the little one-bedroom she shares with her 13-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son. 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, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Easy Tips on How to Save Energy at Home This Summer., Con Edison Customers Made 2022 Another Record Year for Solar Energy, EV Charger Installations Rocket in NYC and Westchester Thanks to Con Edison Support, Con Edison Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions as it Replaces Gas Mains for Safety, Reliability, Learn more about posting on Energy Central , PUC Sr. Market Analyst (Program Spec VII) (00028762), PUC Engineer (Engineer IV - VI) (00029045), Associate Director/Director: Electric Portfolio Manager, Senior Customer Programs Transportation Electrification Manager. Click here for more information, or call (212) 358-4565. Here's a list of the internet providers offering limited, no-cost internet services during the outbreak. 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. Her landlord knew this, she said, but he was aiming to sell the house, so he didnt want to invest in the fixes. Visit https://t.co/QFnsFxkFZB! Pennsylvania utilities have cut off service to 116,000 customers for nonpayment since the state lifted a moratorium on shutoffs on April 1 after a staggering number of unpaid bills piled up during the coronavirus pandemic. But skeptical elected officials demanded an investigation into Con Edisons billing practices, leading the company to pledge to change billing practices to make sudden jumps in charges less likely. The Dallas telecommunications giant also said it would not terminate any wireless, home phone or broadband residential or small-business service because of an inability to pay bills due to disruptions caused by the massive shut-down. The agency told him, "theyre not going to do anything anyway," to terminate his service because of the law barring shut-offs. Rich Berkley, with the Public Utility Law Project, which advocates for low-income customers in New York, said hes been in touch with state officials to make sure the issue of utility bills is considered during the pandemic.