Our organizations call upon Governor Hochul to begin an immediate investigation into the debt collection practices for all utilities that provide gas and electric service in New York, including PSEG-LI, and to provide all findings to the public. In addition, we strongly recommend that the Legislature conduct legislative hearings to determine if our laws need to be amended to provide more consumer protections from apparent aggressive and unacceptable debt collection business practices by New York utilities.<\/p>\n
It is unacceptable to our organizations that recently surfaced comments from utility company representatives show a callous disregard for New York\u2019s utility ratepayers in their debt collection practices. Comments from utility representatives at a debt collection conference this year, as reported, ranged from \u201cPeople think much better in the dark\u201d to \u201cHello grandma, I am coming for you if you don\u2019t take care of this issue.\u201d<\/b> This complete lack of respect for the elderly and hardworking people struggling to pay their bills has no place in our state; New Yorkers deserve and need better when interacting with their utility.<\/p>\n
New Yorkers, and especially older New Yorkers, are being forced to choose between heating their homes, buying groceries, or paying for prescription medication because of high utility costs. More than 1.1 million New Yorkers are currently at risk of a shutoff and nearly 30,000 households had their service cut off last month alone. This is no laughing matter and certainly should not be mocked by debt collectors working for their utility company.<\/p>\n
These unacceptable utility practices are occurring amid a worsening energy affordability crisis that needs to be addressed. State leaders must pass a final state budget that puts consumers first, helping households afford their utility bills today while advancing stronger reforms to the PSC energy rate-setting system that has failed to protect them from rising costs.<\/p>\n
New state policies should include an immediate energy assistance for those in need, as well as system changes such as intervenor funding and an independent Utility Consumer Advocate to push back against utilities\u2019 interests that dominate over ratepayer needs, and to improve a PSC process that is in need of reform and rebalancing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Our organizations believe New Yorkers deserve meaningful action on these items. Anything less would be unacceptable at a time when households across the state are struggling to keep up with rising utility costs.<\/p>\n
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