Latest news with #ConEd
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NYC Con Edison customers protest rate hikes, call on state leaders to intervene
NEW YORK (PIX11) — Con Edison customers rallied in Union Square Friday, voicing their opposition to the company's plan to increase electricity and gas bills, if approved by the state. Demonstrators say the proposed rate hikes would devastate working-class New Yorkers. They are urging state leaders to stop the rate hikes and invest in a publicly driven energy system that lowers costs, meets climate goals, improves air quality, and creates green union jobs. More Local News The utility company's proposed hikes include 11.4% for electricity and 13.3% for natural gas. Gustavo Gordillo is a Con Ed customer who says a rate increase would hit him hard. 'It's going to affect me because I can't afford to pay more,' he said. 'I'm a regular working-class New Yorker. I came [to the rally] after my job. I work hard for my money, and I don't want to be giving more of it.' Demonstrators held signs and chanted, saying the increases would stretch their finances to their breaking point. New York State Assemblymember and mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani says the hikes would burden already struggling New Yorkers. 'For Con Ed, there's never enough when it comes to their rate hikes,' said Mamdani. 'Just as recently as they got one, they want another, and what we are here to say is no.' Protesters are urging Governor Kathy Hochul to reject the proposed rate hikes. Hochul has previously opposed the plan, directing the state's Department of Public Service to reject the increases and launch an audit of utility management compensation. Meanwhile, Con Edison cites rising property taxes on energy infrastructure as a key factor behind the proposed hikes. A spokesperson says they recognize the affordability challenges and have provided hundreds of millions of dollars in discounts to low-income customers in response. The spokesperson added, 'We also have a responsibility to continue to safely and efficiently deliver the nation's most reliable power. That means fortifying the grid against increasingly severe weather, supporting the state's clean energy goals and maintaining the workforce we need to conduct ongoing maintenance and swiftly respond to customer service calls.' The rate hike proposal is now before the New York Public Service Commission, which will conduct a series of public hearings and reviews over an 11-month process. A final decision is expected by fall, with any approved increases taking effect in 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This startup can shave hundreds of dollars off your electricity bill without any fine print: 'Some save thousands'
Most Americans use electricity all the time and think about it none of the time — or at least, not until the bill rolls in. But with energy prices rising thanks to inflation and other factors, any way to reduce usage and save money is increasingly important. Enter: Arbor, the startup that helps you automatically lower your energy bill on an ongoing basis — with many customers saving nearly $600 every year — without any interruptions in service or even change of utility provider. All you have to do is link your utility account or upload a recent bill, and Arbor takes care of the rest. It almost feels too good to be true. "That's the problem for us," said Cliff Bernstein, Arbor's chief marketing officer. If someone sees an ad highlighting how they can save hundreds of dollars on their electricity bill, it might seem like a scam. In reality, Arbor is simply one of the first companies that has successfully figured out how to navigate the fine print of the electricity market (read: super complex) and find you a better rate not just upfront but over time. When the team pinpoints a better price for your electric bill, you save money through the new energy supplier and they get paid a referral fee from that supplier (at no cost to you). "In a world of rising prices and increasing complexity, we help you save by automatically switching you to a great rate," said Arbor CEO Andrew Meyer. "This translates to lower bills, less stress, and a clear understanding of what you're paying for." In an exclusive conversation with The Cool Down, Meyer and Bernstein walked us through how users can shave hundreds of dollars off their energy bills without even thinking about it. "For most households, energy is already one of the biggest recurring expenses, and it's only getting worse," Meyer said. "We started Arbor to help millions of households save with a simple switch to a better rate." Users enter their ZIP code, and if Arbor is available in their area, they can create a simple Arbor account (name, email, phone number). Then they enter their utility provider (e.g., Pepco), add their address, and link that existing energy account. You can access your utility account with login credentials, you can provide your account number, "or you can just upload a picture of your … bill, and then we can pull out all the information from there," Bernstein said. Either way, the Arbor team checks out what electric rate you're currently using, and they see if they can beat it. That's because in states with a "deregulated" energy market, a utility provider like Pepco or ConEd is going to deliver your energy, but it may not be the company that supplies it. Arbor dives into the weeds to find the cheapest energy supplier, all while keeping your utility provider the same (with no interruption in service). Bernstein also mentioned Arbor is looking to add features such as tips on energy optimization and ways to encourage energy use during off-peak periods — think: nudges to use your dryer in the middle of the day, when the energy mix is cleaner and cheaper because that's when more is powered with renewable sources like wind and solar. Signing up only takes a few minutes. Arbor can find users a better rate in as little as 24 hours, Bernstein said. Typically, they should see those savings on their next bill. "Customers save up to $593 per year, but some save thousands," Meyer told us, alluding to how it really depends on how much energy a household uses. "The average savings is a few hundred dollars per year, depending on where you live and how you use electricity." The team showed us a recent response from an Arbor user in Pennsylvania. When they first moved into their home, their electric bill was over $300. Within two months of using Arbor, the user reported paying half of that first bill. Overall, Arbor reports it's saved customers $7.5 million since launching in 2022. What's unique about Arbor is that the team isn't just finding you a great initial rate adjustment. It's constantly monitoring the energy market to make sure you're staying on a great rate. "No one else is really doing the ongoing management part," Bernstein mentioned. "There are some websites where you can comparison-shop these rates. … What ends up happening, though, is there's the … lowest rate, but the term might only be three months, and then it goes variable and … gets just priced wherever the market decides to go." "More often than not, when it goes variable, it goes above where the initial fixed term was, and people just don't have the time of day to stick reminders [on their calendar] and then shop. And then there's the fine print," Bernstein said. "There's some tricky stuff out there." Nope. Renters and homeowners can both use the service. You can also cancel at any time, and if there happens to be an early termination fee associated with an energy supplier, Arbor says it'll reimburse you for it. "Arbor exists because the energy markets are complex. We make them simple and safe," Meyer said. "We are licensed by state utilities commissions and have a great online reputation," including an "excellent" rating on the review platform Trustpilot. As for user data, "we have 20 engineers that think about this all day," Bernstein said. "Security is very important." Additionally, Arbor never asks for your payment information or sensitive personal information like your social security number. A TCD test of the service confirmed it just asks for your name, address, phone number, and email — along with your energy bill account number or an upload of a recent bill. Basically, only what's needed to perform the service. How often do you worry about your energy bills? Every day A few times a week A few times a month Only when I pay it Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Arbor's service is 100% free, so how does it make money? Bernstein explained that the electricity suppliers pay the startup referral fees for getting them new customers — meaning Arbor does not take a percentage of user savings. So Arbor gets referral fees, and users get those lower energy prices. The process is entirely transparent, with no hidden costs, which is why it has that "too good to be true" feeling even though TCD testing did not uncover any causes for concern. Users in 12 states and Washington, D.C., can currently take advantage of Arbor's energy rate service (see the full state list here). Because energy markets are state-specific, Arbor can help homeowners and renters in deregulated energy markets, which includes most of the Northeast, Midwest, and Texas. In those states, people can actually choose from hundreds or even thousands of energy suppliers, but most of us don't know (1) that choice exists and (2) which plan makes the most sense, especially considering hidden fees and fine print. "About a third of U.S. households make up these states," Bernstein said, which means Arbor is able to help roughly 100 million people lower their energy bills on an ongoing basis. "There's plenty of room to grow within these" states, he said. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
CBS News
11-02-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Gov. Kathy Hochul fights proposed Con Edison rate hikes, calls for audit of management compensation
NEW YORK -- Gov. Kathy Hochul says Con Edison needs to get back to the drawing board after proposing significant double-digit increases for natural gas and electric bills. The governor announced Tuesday she is fighting against the utility's rate hike, which would increase the average electric bill 11.4% and the average natural gas bill 13.3%, saying, "The burden is already heavy." "I'm calling on the Department of Public Service to reject Con Ed's proposal for these exorbitant rate increases," Hochul said. She said she is sending a letter to the chair and CEO of the New York State Public Service Commission. Hochul said she's also directing the DPS to conduct a first-of-its-kind audit of Con Ed's management compensation. "I want to make sure that they're being responsible in how they use our ratepayer dollars," she said. New Yorkers concerned about proposed Con Ed rate hikes On Tuesday morning, the Queens Borough Cabinet livestreamed a meeting in which Con Ed presented ways customers can help lower bills. Shortly after, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards applauded Hochul's stance, pointing out long-standing Con Ed infrastructure issues throughout the borough. "Just last week, we took outages consistently in Rosedale," he said. "For you to ask residents, everyday New Yorkers, to come back, and Queens residents especially, to escalate their bills and then the infrastructure not be in place or something, that is unacceptable." The hike is also a big concern for seniors. "Eighteen percent of the city's older adults live in poverty, below the poverty line," AARP New York State Director Beth Finkel said, "and these high utility rates are contributing to it." According to the DPS, the process to determine if it will approve a rate increase takes about a year and will include a public hearing.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NYC landlord switching to dirtier heating oil because of soaring Con Ed gas bill: ‘I'm tapped out'
A landlord in Queens is so fed up with his sky-high gas heating bills from Con Ed that he's switching to dirtier home heating oil to warm one of his buildings. Residential-building owner John Norton blamed New York's 'green' mandates, which he said are forcing customers such as himself to abandon natural gas by making it more expensive. 'I can't afford the gas bills anymore — I'm tapped out,' Norton said, acknowledging he is already struggling to pay what he owes — as the utility revealed it only hopes to squeeze more out of consumers with new whopping rate hikes unveiled last week. Norton, also a licensed plumber, provided The Post with a copy of a recent Con Ed bill that revealed the cost to deliver gas to one of his three six-family residential buildings was a staggering three times more than the price of the gas supply itself. His total gas bill for the building from Oct. 23 to Nov. 25 was $601.23. The bill broke down to $451.78 for gas delivery and $149.45 for the gas supply. He also got zapped with a $200 late fee — bringing his grand total to $801.23. 'That's ridiculous,' said Norton, who contacted The Post after seeing that ConEd is proposing to shock customers with double-digit increases next year. The utility giant wants New York's utilities regulator, the Public Service Commission, to allow it to jack up average electric bills by 11.4% and send gas bills soaring 13.3%. — a move that could mean a wallet-busting $1,848 more per year than some customers paid in 2020. Norton said he is buying a new $7,000 high-efficiency oil-hot-water boiler for at least one of his buildings to replace Con Ed-supplied gas. He said the move will save him hundreds of dollars a month by getting the oil delivered directly to his house. Norton already has an oil delivery supplier lined up. He said his bill could drop to $120 a month by paying $3 a gallon for home heating oil to fill his 40 gallon boiler. 'Now I get rid of the gas delivery charge. What choice do I have?' Norton said. 'How can anyone keep up with that heating bill?' Bronx Congressman Ritchie Torres ripped Con Edison's delivery charges — approved by state state regulators at the Public Service Commision appointed by Gov. Kathy Hochul — as way out of line. 'Con Ed has been systematically overcharging working-class and middle-class New Yorkers. The customers of Con Ed pay as much as 200% more in gas delivery charges than the customers of National Grid,' Torres said Sunday, referring to another gas utility in the city. 'Instead of protecting the people of New York from price-gouging, Governor Kathy Hochul and the Public Service Commission have enabled ConEd to prey upon the working class and middle class in an age of inflation.' Con Edison, in a statement on Sunday, defended the delivery charges that were approved by Albany regulators. 'The delivery charge, set by the New York State Public Service Commission, covers the costs of running one of the nation's most expansive and complex energy systems safely and reliably,' the utility giant said. 'This includes the work of our highly trained planners, operators, and crews, as well as safety projects like leak detection and main replacement, our first-in-the-nation gas detectors in homes, and various other technologies to ensure our customers have safe energy when you need it. 'The delivery charge also includes taxes and fees imposed by state and local governments, such as property taxes. These taxes and fees typically make up 25 to 30% of a gas heating customer's bill, and about 35% of the delivery charge. 'Con Edison is dedicated to keeping costs affordable while maintaining our top-notch safety standards, which are crucial in our uniquely dense service area.' Taxes and fees accounted for about $158 of Norton's total $601.23 tab, a source said. A PSC spokesman said any customer who believes he's been overcharged or wronged can file a complaint with the agency at In its filing for a rate increase, Con Ed said mandates are forcing it to upgrade the electrical grid to comply with a green agenda under the state's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. The aggressive plan under the law requires New York to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 and achieve 100% zero-carbon-emission electricity by 2040. State law requires all new buildings under seven stories to be fully electric by 2026, with larger structures following three years in 2029. In New York City, Local Law 97 — the Climate Mobilization Emissions Law of 2019 — sets limits on the greenhouse gas emissions of buildings to help New York City reach the goal of a 40% reduction by the year 2030 and 80% reduction in citywide emissions by calendar year 2050. In another respect, Norton is going in the direction of the green movement. He is building a new home along the Rockaway Peninsula that will be solar-powered with its own battery storage system to store the electricity. The Queens resident and businessman said he is so upset with utility bills that he'd like to go completely 'off the grid. 'I'll be so green out that you'll regret it,' he said.
