Rebate Check Coming To These NYC Residents

NEW YORK CITY — More than 8 million New York households are expected to receive one-time energy rebate checks beginning this fall, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul's office.

The $1 billion Protecting Our Wallets Energy Rebate program, known as POWER, is intended to provide relief as New Yorkers contend with rising utility bills and other expenses.

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"The energy rebate checks that will go out beginning this fall are designed to provide some relief for overburdened ratepayers who are dealing with higher prices across the board thanks to dangerous policies coming out of Washington," Ken Lovett, a senior communications adviser for energy and environment in Hochul's office, told Patch.

State officials cannot yet confirm exactly when the checks will be mailed, other than saying payments will be distributed throughout the fall.

About 8.2 million households are expected to receive payments through the program, according to Hochul's office.

Lovett said the checks are one part of Hochul's broader ratepayer protection plan, which seeks to remove hidden fees from utility bills, link utility executives' compensation to affordability and require energy companies to prioritize keeping costs down.

The amount taxpayers receive will depend on their 2024 income and filing status.

Here's who qualifies

• Married couples filing jointly with incomes below $150,000 will receive $200.
• Joint filers earning between $150,000 and $300,000 will receive $150.
• Single filers earning below $150,000 will receive $100.

To qualify, New Yorkers must have filed a timely 2024 state resident income tax return and lived in the state full time during that tax year.

Residents must also fall within the qualifying income thresholds and cannot have been claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer's return. The payments will be issued as advance tax-credit checks.

For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.