Utilities can shut off your service only between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. from Monday through Thursday. Representatives can help you get on plan to pay in installments or defer payment to avoid service disruptions. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. They are issuing shut-off warnings while inflation is pushing up the price of many goods, and monthly charges . Long Beach officials shut off the gas at Dana Tanner's restaurant after she refused to close her outdoor patio to diners. Were proud to publish real news 365 days of the year, completely free of charge to our readers. 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.. Austin, Texas, Transmission System Operator Theres a campaign in New York to suspend evictions and foreclosures, with growing political support. We will Privacy Policy |Terms of service |Subscription terms |Your ad choices |Cookie Settings |California Privacy Rights |About Us |Contact Newsday |Reprints & permissions |Advertise with Newsday |Help. If you plan to use a generator, please call 1-888-759-6056 so we can safeguard our employees. Not quite. Like so many New Yorkers, more than 9,000 Con Edison employees have made the transition to work from home to serve customers. Even though utilities in New York State are no longer prohibited from disconnecting delinquent customers, the last thing that we want to do is to shut anybody off, said Jamie McShane, a spokesman for the company. https://t.co/3O2HMhxgj6, We have the following new positions open at LawNY! Regional Staff Attorney - Litigation (choice of office) Asking for payment by pre-paid card, cash apps such as Venmo, or bitcoin. Washington, District of Columbia, Supervisor of Engineering - Substations As a result, major energy utility providers including NYSEG, RG&E, and National Grid have . All she has to do is pay her current bill on time every month for a year, and her debt to PSE&G will be forgiven. Please alert your security company of the outage. PUC Sr. Market Analyst (Program Spec VII) (00028762) A utility shut-off moratorium ended on December 21st, meaning that New Yorkers could face the cut-off of heat during the winter months ahead. Another avenue would be for members of Congress to insert a shut-off ban in the next round of coronavirus stimulus. 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 agency told him, "theyre not going to do anything anyway," to terminate his service because of the law barring shut-offs. Nationally, the total level of arrears to utility companies is about $22 billion, after peaking at about $32 billion in the spring of 2021, said Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association. The PUC's order will still prohibit utilities from shutting off "protected customers" whose income is no more than triple the Federal Poverty Guidelines, which are set at $26,200 for a family of four, so the yearly limit for such a family would be $78,600.The protected customers must apply for available assistance programs and request a payment arrangement from the utility to pay down . The company is proud to have been able to meet the energy needs of its customers seamlessly through this pandemic. To live in New York, you have to be making a big amount of money to survive, Ms. Rivera said. Regional Staff Attorney - Litigation If youve already tried to resolve your bill with your utility company Con Ed you can file a complaint with the state Department of Public Service, which oversees utility services. An unused clause on the books could change that. What if my service provider is threatening to shut off my utilities anyway? The end of government protections has put utility companies in an unpopular position. The federal government offers the Home Energy Assistance Program, but the application process is cumbersome and doesnt stretch far enough. 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. 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. A 2021 Rocky Mountain Institute report found that gas utilities pass the cost of building new pipelines and mains onto customers, to the tune of hundreds of millions annually, which locks in the use of fossil gas for decades to come. It's not exactly free, but you can get no-cost, in-home internet for up to sixty days during the COVID-19 pandemic if you qualify for certain low-income internet programs or have a student living in your household. 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. State Disclosures, Senior Attorney, Safe Water Initiative, People & Communities Program. She feared the end of the moratorium and the choices she would face to avert having her power cut off. She made a down payment of $150 and agreed to pay monthly installments of $10 for the next 27 years. 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. GOP Megadonors Are Trying to Pull the Party Away From Trump. To that end, in an effort to help minimize the exposure . Customers who contact SCE and self-identify as being impacted financially by the COVID-19 emergency. Many people, she said, wait to ask for help until they are on the brink. 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 risk is 250,000 times greater than the level considered acceptable by the EPA division that approves new chemicals. Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. 2023 Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. . Washington, District of Columbia, Senior Customer Programs Transportation Electrification Manager SNAP Emergency Allotments are ending by the end of the month. ", 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. 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 . Republicans have introduced several bills aimed at bolstering the fossil fuel industry, seemingly at all costs. PSEG and experts say if you are having problems paying your bill and need to take advantage of the state moratorium on shut-offs (and avoid late fees), its best to call the utility to tell them your circumstances, and see if a minimal payment plan can be arranged. SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory But today I received a bill from ConEd totaling over $400 for the . That includes 411,694 residential Con Ed customers in New York City and Westchester. In New York, advocates have pleaded with Gov. 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 . When you sign up you'll become a member of NRDC's Activist Network. After finding work as a receptionist in November, Ms. Rivera, 35, got help from the Public Utility Law Project in arranging an unusual payoff term. No utility can turn off service if a person cannot pay their bill as a result of responding to this virus situation, said New York Gov. Private electricity companies will be required to send a 10-day "re-notification . In addition, we are leveraging the guidance of the CDC, state and local authorities. Moreover, when the shutoff moratorium expires, many customers will be faced with accumulated arrears that they are unable to pay off, even with an extended payment plan. The company also said it would try to smooth out the effects on customers of its efforts to hedge against volatility in the price of natural gas. ConEd sent me confirmation that they canceled my service on 11/29/2021. Con Edison says it has held off on disconnecting residential customers and small businesses. What happens if I cant afford my utility bills right now? In 2019, approximately one-third of eligible households in New York did not receive assistance. Its really been the crux of my poverty, she told producers of a short film played during the Utility Justice Film Festival in February 2021. Congress, states, and utilities will all have important roles in crafting a solution that works. There are some options for you, but they are limited. Get the news you want, delivered to your inbox every day. Her work has appeared inUndark,Sierra Magazine,Yes! This new law is sweeping and precedent-setting: New York is the first state to act via legislationto establish a statewide moratorium on all utility shutoffswater, gas, electric, and telephone, including both publicly- and privately-owned utilities. A Zoom conference featuring Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller was cut short on Thursday after one of the attendees posted pornographic images that were visible to the others on the call . As New Yorkers are staying at home to protect themselves and their families, the need for water, gas, electric, and telecommunications services are even more critical than ever. Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. . 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. New York already has requirements for utilities to offer deferred payment agreements before shutting off service, he noted. If youre getting other government benefits like Medicaid, you also can apply for the discount. Paralegal - Litigation If people are quarantined or out of work due to a widespread economic slowdown, some advocates say they shouldnt have to worry about having the lights or heat turned off. 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.