State Senator Tom O’Mara, Assemblyman Chris Friend, and Assemblyman Phil Palmesano are urging residents to take advantage of an upcoming public forum hosted by New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) to address rising utility bills and billing concerns.
The “Community Connection” event will take place on Thursday, March 27, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Big Flats American Legion, located at 45 Olcott Road S. NYSEG representatives will meet with customers on a first-come, first-served basis to discuss billing issues and available assistance programs.
The lawmakers said their offices have been overwhelmed with complaints about surging utility costs in recent months. O’Mara reported that his office alone has received more than 300 complaints in the past two months.
“Skyrocketing utility costs have been the number one constituent complaint that our offices have been fielding throughout this new year. And rightly so,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement. “Some of these billing increases have been outrageous and inexplicable. It’s critically important for NYSEG to conduct this direct outreach with ratepayers, and we’ve requested NYSEG to do more of these meetings across the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions.”
They also reiterated concerns about New York’s clean energy policies, arguing that the state’s aggressive climate mandates under the 2019 Community Leadership and Climate Protection Act (CLCPA) are driving up costs without proper analysis of their financial impact on consumers and businesses.
For those unable to attend the meeting, the lawmakers encouraged residents to contact NYSEG’s customer service hotline at 888-315-1755, available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Customers who do not receive a satisfactory resolution can also file complaints with the state Public Service Commission by calling 1-800-342-3377 or submitting concerns online at dps.ny.gov/file-complaint.
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