Residents and business owners described how rising utility bills are affecting household spending, restaurant prices and fire-service equipment during a Binghamton roundtable convened by Rep. Josh Riley.
The September 10 discussion brought constituents and policy experts together as Riley, a Democrat representing New York's 19th Congressional District, continued to challenge utility rate increases and pricing practices, according to a September 14 release from his office. The release summarized the participants' accounts but did not include a response from NYSEG or other utilities.
Bills strain businesses and emergency services
A Whitney Point restaurant owner, identified in the release as Charlie Aiellio, said his monthly utility bill had risen to about $6,000 from roughly $2,500. He said the higher cost has pushed him to raise menu prices and made employee raises more difficult. Those figures describe his business, not an average rate increase for other customers.
Scot Lueck, treasurer of the Gilbertsville Fire Department, said the department's electricity costs rose from a seven-year average of about $1,100 annually to nearly $2,700 a year over the past two years. He said the budget pressure has forced cuts to spending on turnout gear, air tanks and other equipment. The release did not provide the department's complete budget or utility bills.
Binghamton social worker Denise Blackwell said her bill rose by $729.31 despite buying energy-saving appliances. The release did not specify the billing period or whether the increase reflected a change in rates, usage or both.
Riley said the accounts reinforced his effort to lower costs for Upstate customers. His office said he has participated as an intervener in Central Hudson and NYSEG rate cases in 2025 and 2026, including questioning utilities during proceedings.
Survey and bills remain part of Riley's push
The congressman's office cited a 2025 inquiry in which more than 5,000 NYSEG customers submitted survey responses. Among respondents, 91% reported higher bills, 51% said they had skipped groceries, medication or other essentials to pay a bill, and two-thirds of those who reported a problem said it had not been resolved. The release did not provide a random-sampling method, response rate or independent verification; the percentages should not be read as representative of all NYSEG customers.
Riley's office also listed several bills he introduced. The Weatherization Enhancement and Readiness Act, introduced in February 2025, would expand help for households trying to reduce energy use. The Keep the Lights Local Act, introduced that September, would bar foreign corporations and governments from owning American utility companies. A December 2025 proposal would prohibit executive bonuses at utilities whose rates rose faster than inflation.
In 2026, he introduced bills addressing taxes and state-mandated surcharges on utility bills, alleged utility overcharging and the potential impact of data centers on Upstate energy bills. His office said a September 4 smart-meter proposal would restrict the sale and misuse of customer data collected through those devices.
The listed bills were introduced between February 2025 and September 2026. The release did not say that any had become law or estimate how much a household would save under them.
Riley said he would use the participants' feedback in his continued work on utility costs. No specific agreement, rate change or new legislative action was announced at the roundtable.
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