NYSEG Offers Relief For Unpaid Utility Bills In Bedford

Press release from the Town of Bedford:

NYSEG and RG&E Announce Assistance Available and Repayment Options to Help Customers with Unpaid BillsWith service disconnections and late charges resuming, customers are urged to contact the companies for a variety of assistance programs

New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) andRochester Gas and Electric (RG&E) subsidiaries of AVANGRID, Inc., [NYSE: AGR], want to help customers find relief for unpaid bills for their electricity and/or gas service. COVID-related and winter season pauses on service disconnections have ended, as has theCompanies’ Late Payment Charge Suspension announced last fall. This means customerswith a financial need for help with unpaid bills should act now to keep their service on.Utilities across the state resumed their collections this week, in compliance with New YorkState law.

“Having unpaid bills is stressful, but financial help is available if people take some verysimple steps, starting by contacting us,” said Theresa VanBrooker, vice president of Customer Service at NYSEG and RG&E. “When past-due bills are taken care of, it benefitsall customers, as the burden of unpaid balances is shared by all rate payers. But mostimportantly, it means people who need help the most are getting it.”

Any residential customers experiencing difficulty paying their utility bill should call Customer Service to inquire about assistance and options. Only if customers take no action after receiving multiple bills, calls, and notices will they face disconnection. These measures are required by the New York State Public Service Commission and are intended to provide customers significant advance warning before any disconnection is performed. While only asmall percentage of the Companies’ customers statewide have a debt that is more than 60days past due, the amount of this debt totals more than $180 million across NYSEG andRG&E.NYSEG: call us at 888.315.1755RG&E: call us at 877.266.3492

Recognizing that the COVID-19 pandemic caused financial hardship for residents andbusinesses, the Companies implemented an Electric and Gas Bill Relief Program in 2022,approved by the New York State Public Service Commission for eligible New Yorkers, whichreduced balances for past-due bills for customers through a one-time bill credit. In January2023, additional relief for customers who did not previously receive a bill relief credit wasapproved. Qualifying residential and small business customers were eligible to have a past-due balance from bills for service through May 1, 2022, reduced through a one-time bill credit up to $1,250 at NYSEG and $1,500 at RG&E. The Companies also ceased disconnections during this time, though customers still may have received disconnection notices to assist them in qualifying for emergency assistance.

Customers in arrears will receive multiple communications from us in advance of adisconnection. These contacts will include a bill, a reminder notice or a phone call, a termination notice with an additional payment period, an additional call, and then an in-person field visit to the residence to collect or shut off service.NYSEG and RG&E make deferred payment agreements and other assistance available foreligible customers.

We can help with payment plans for eligible customers, which are available online or by calling us so we can find a solution together. For more information on bill assistance or other available resources, visit nyseg.com/HelpWithBill or Help With Bill.

This press release was produced by the Town of Bedford. The views expressed here are the author’s own.