Limit the cost of residential utilities

[BRIZ (Devin Brizendine)]

In today’s age, utilities such as gas, water, & electricity are a necessity to maintain comfortable living standards. Due to the need of these life dependent resources, privately owned utility companies leverage American citizens for every dollar they can. The following actions will help to provide affordable utilities to the people without creating unreasonable restraints on the supplier.

1. Abolishing energy consumption, preparation, & distribution taxes for all residential customers.

2. Putting a cap on energy consumption rates. Currently, billing rates per Kilowatt hour increase after a certain KWh is reached. This bill would force companies to maintain a standard charge rate per KWh without increase.

3. Government funding for any value over a maximum monthly charge.
   This will require utility companies to use the following maximum consumer charge rate each month based off the size & age of the home. Residential monthly charges should not exceed $100 per 1,000 sq ft. for homes built after 1940 & no more than $75 per sq ft. for homes built on or before 1940.
   Any additional charges will have to be formally claimed as a loss on a tax return each year by the provider.

4. Increase tax deduction opportunities for energy saving upgrades to homes.
   All energy saving upgrades should be made tax deductible in conjunction with the standard deduction , instead of only being included in an itemized deduction value. This will allow people to still claim their standard deduction amount while also getting credit for itemized energy saving products.
   This includes but is not limited to:
   (a) Energy efficient air conditioners
   (b) Solar panels & converters
   (c) Insulations, windows, doors, & seals.
   (d) Electric water heaters & energy efficient tanks
   (e) Power saving lights & thermostats
   (f) Any other home appliance that claims “power saving” or “energy efficient” by the manufacturer.

5. Mandatory seasonal energy rate decreases.
   Utility providers will be forced to reduce consumer rates by at least 50% relative to seasonal changes.
   This will apply to natural gas providers in the winter months & electricity providers in the summer.

[Tobigtorig (Kirsten Marie)]

NYS is brutal, we are getting slammed in every direction with crippling costs. Now they have tripled our utility bills. No one will do anything to help us. NYSEG parent companies CEO’s receive millions in bonuses, while the regular person chooses bills or groceries.

This letter (not created by me) is a brief synopsis of our electric struggle. It was sent to Hochul, Langworthy, Burke, and every member of the PSC:

Dear Government Representatives:
I am writing to express my complete dissatisfaction and disgust with NYSEG and their rate increases AND THE PSC for allowing NYSEG such exorbitant increases.

In a 10/12/23 press release, the PSC stated:

“Under the new rate plan, a NYSEG residential electric customer using 600 kWh per month would see an average total monthly bill increase of $9.94 or 10.3 percent in November of this year, $8.88 or 8.4 percent starting May 2024, and $11.34 or 9.9 percent starting May 2025.”

Unfortunately, most customers (including myself) do not use a mere 600 KwH per month in electricity. For myself, who lives in one-story, 1700 SF, insulated, brick home, my monthly kWh consumption IS TRIPLE 600 kWh. Therefore, my bill will increase by over $90.00 per month. Many homes use even more energy, making their new monthly electric expenses nearly unmanageable.

The price of gas is up, the price of groceries is ridiculous, and there is no end in site for New York State residents. While I understand you are trying to do what is best for the environment, if people can’t afford to live in said environment, WHAT’S THE POINT?

In addition, you have taxpayers who are struggling to make ends meet, and yet you give illegal immigrants debit cards and free places to stay. While I don’t begrudge immigrants seeking a better life, I don’t think they should be getting government handouts when your own residents are struggling to pay utility bills.

And while a PSC member stated something along the lines of “this isn’t a matter of getting rich”, Avangrid’s CEO, Pedro Azagra Blazquez, (a tenure of 2.25 years) earns (I use that term loosely) total yearly compensation is $10.69M, comprised of 10.8% salary and 89.2% bonuses, including company stock and options, directly owns 0.008% of the company’s shares, worth $1.10M. Other compensation includes: R. Scott Mahoney, Senior Vice President - General Counsel & Corporate Secretary - $1,258,290.00; Robert Kump, President & Deputy Chief Executive Officer - $1,644,004.00; Catherine Stempien,
President and Chief Executive Officer of Networks, $1,560,280.00; Dennis Arriola, Former Chief Executive Officer - $2,999,632.00; Jose Antonio Miranda Soto, President and Chief Executive Officer of Renewables - $1,043,205.00; Patricia Cosgel, Senior Vice President - Chief Financial Officer - $987,135.00. THIS CERTAINLY APPEARS TO BE “GETTING RICH” TO ME.

Finally, people’s bill have dramatically increased recently which is being attributed to the rate increases. Unfortunately, only two of the three increases have taken effect thus far. So why are people’s electric bills doubling and tripling before all of the rate increases even take place?

There are many unanswered questions. The only one I am certain of is that NYSEG is ripping consumers off. The PSC is supposed to protect consumers, not help public utilities screw them over.

I would appreciate a response from each and every one of you with respect to this matter. And please don’t refer me to NYSEG, they have absolutely no answers. They are simply telling people “that’s how much electricity you used”, despite the fact that absolutely nothing has changed in the customers’ usage habits.

[Peacefulprotest (Holly Kohley)]

Stop public funding, via raising rates, of utility companies for their upgrades, “losses”, pay raises…
Do ComEd, Duke, Verizon, etc…pay for my uprades or losses to my home or investments?

It is ridiculous that We The People are held hostage by phone, internet, water, electric and gas companies by overinflated monthly prices as well as covering their upgrades and losses!
Maybe each utility company should have rate restrictions, caps? I am not sure of the best solutions.

[bandet (kevan gerabagi)]

Price controls don’t work in the history of forever. Instead of trying something that has failed every time, just make more energy by pumping oil and building nuclear.