In addition to facing increases in the prices of food and gasoline due to the historical inflation that the country faces, some New Yorkers are also suffering the unpleasant surprise of receiving large electricity bills.
Complaints have reached politicians. State Sen. Michael Gianaris (D), who represents Queens, said his office has been inundated with calls from constituents who say their Con Edison bills have skyrocketed, in some cases by 300%, above the $700 Dollars. That’s why he wants the Public Utilities Commission to investigate.
Alex Rivera, who lives in a three-bedroom apartment in Long Island City, told Fox News that your Con Edison bill was approximately $300 dollars in December and then skyrocketed to $2022 in January. His neighbor DK Guo, a resident of a studio, reported that his amount exceeded about $53 in December more than $104 in January.
A Con Edison spokesperson confirmed that the global rise in the cost of natural gas in electricity generation has impacted customer bills.
“Con Edison does not generate electricity nor can we manage the financial practices of private power generators or natural gas providers,” the statement said. . “Con Edison is looking at the ability to generate renewable energy in New York State for our customers, which would move away from our reliance on natural gas and this volatility.”
Senator Gianaris stated that he wants answers on contracts that Con Edison has with its suppliers. “Is that the best we could do? Are there provisions in that contract that protect consumers from these types of spikes?” he wondered. “What is the Public Service Commission (PSC) doing about it? These are all questions that remain unanswered.”
In a statement, a PSC spokesperson said that it does not regulate the prices of basic products and that the utility companies do not establish the costs of supply and do not profit from it. “In addition, utilities (including Con Edison) use a variety of purchasing methods and hedging, including short-term and long-term contracts, to obtain the best prices for customers and offset increases in the cost of supply,” said James Denn, a PSC spokesman. “This winter, the cost of natural gas increased as demand for the commodity increased, exports increased, and severe weather hampered production in the Gulf area,” he justified.
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