New York has launched a statewide enrollment campaign for a utility discount program that officials say could help 2.5 million additional households lower their monthly energy bills.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said about 1 million households are already enrolled in the Energy Affordability Program, which adjusts discounts by income and is designed to keep a typical household’s utility costs below 6% of its income.
The state estimates that as many as half of New York households now qualify. Hochul’s office said participating households can save hundreds of dollars per year, with some receiving as much as $500 in annual relief.
Residents can review eligibility and apply through the state’s Energy Affordability Program page at ny.gov/EAP.
Who qualifies and how enrollment works
Households receiving Home Energy Assistance Program benefits or public assistance through Temporary Assistance are automatically enrolled, according to the governor’s office.
People participating in several other assistance programs may qualify but generally must apply because privacy rules prevent automatic enrollment. Those programs include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, veterans’ disability or survivors pensions, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.
Eligibility was expanded in January to households below the state median income. In New York City, Westchester County and Nassau County, the standard is based on area median income. The governor’s release did not include the numerical income limits in its extracted eligibility table.
The Department of Public Service plans to promote enrollment through digital advertising and outreach by other agencies. The state said residents could receive information by mail, email or text, while social service offices will cross-reference enrollment in other benefit programs and work with community organizations on in-person events.
Utilities will also be expected to inform eligible customers about the application process, and state offices that serve the public will promote the program on their digital displays.
Broader utility relief effort
The enrollment push follows the state’s announcement that $1 billion in one-time energy rebate checks will begin going to 8.2 million eligible households Sept. 21. The Energy Affordability Program is separate and provides recurring monthly discounts rather than a single payment.
Hochul’s office said New York has provided more than $6.6 billion in direct utility-bill relief since 2021, excluding the new rebate checks. The state also cited $1.4 billion for weatherization, energy-efficiency and renewable-energy projects intended to reduce household energy use and costs.
The governor is also pursuing changes to utility regulation that would tie company earnings and executive compensation more closely to affordability goals. The plan would restrict utilities from passing lobbying, political donation, promotional and luxury travel costs to ratepayers and would require closer review of proposed capital projects and rate-case expenses.
Other proposed changes include a 14-month review period for utility rate requests, an affordability index to measure household energy burdens and authority to place an independent monitor with a utility if a rate case would push the average household burden above 6%.
The state budget also created a RATES Commission to examine rising utility costs, company profits and energy-market design. Details about the commission’s timetable were not included in the governor’s announcement.
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