Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul’s one-time utility rebate checks Tuesday and promised to cut customers’ utility bills in half if elected.
Speaking at a campaign event in Queens, the Nassau County executive called the rebates an election-year measure that would not offset higher household energy costs.
Blakeman’s campaign said the checks would provide $200 in one-time relief. He argued that customers have faced much larger annual increases and claimed state-approved rate actions have contributed to higher electric bills.
The candidate said some households are paying up to $1,320 more per year, though the campaign release did not provide supporting utility records, regulatory filings or a breakdown of how it calculated that figure.
Blakeman appeared with homeowners, small business owners and regional political figures, including New York City Councilwoman Joann Ariola and state Assembly candidate Tom Sullivan. Brother’s Ravioli owner Angelo Pellegrino also attended.
“A one-time $200 check doesn’t make a dent when your bills are running $1,000 higher year after year,” Blakeman said.
The release did not explain how Blakeman would reduce utility bills by 50%, identify the state actions required to carry out the proposal or include a response from Hochul’s campaign.
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