State Senate Requests Utility Companies Waive Late Fees

Residents throughout the region have been inundated with exorbitant utility bills recently and State Senator Peter Harckham (D, Mt. Kisco) has called on officials from New York State Electric and Gas Company, Orange and Rockland Utilities and Con Edison to waive their late fees and ease payment plan access for customers in arrears who are facing financial hardships as a result of skyrocketing prices for food, fuel and housing.

Harckham said hundreds of constituents have contacted his office in recent weeks about their difficulty in paying their bills.

“It is the perfect storm of prior rate cases kicking in, increased demand because of the excessive cold weather we have had, and because of that, the spot market prices where they are actually buying the energy are much higher,” he said. “So, it is really the unfortunate trifecta, and it is slamming all of our constituents.”

The senator said people “are making difficult choices about spending on essentials because of escalating utility bills. They should not have to choose between keeping the lights on and buying medicine. That is why I am asking the utility companies to ease the burden of those facing these challenges.”

Currently, Con Edison, NYSEG and O&R charge their customers who are in arrears up to 1.5 percent a month in late payment fees. The late fees can add up to hundreds of dollars a year.

“For a family on a tight budget, this is an unnecessary hardship. With so many households struggling financially, waiving these fees would offer some immediate relief for those customers behind on their payments,” Harckham said.

In 2022, the utilities voluntarily waived the fees during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many utility customers fell behind on their payments.

Harckham also urged Con Edison, NYSEG and O&R to restructure their payment plans to make them more accessible and flexible for those who are facing financial difficulties. Currently, customers in arrears have to come up with a 15 percent down payment in order to qualify for a payment agreement plan, which is unaffordable to many.