Central Hudson’s billing glitches still under scrutiny by officials

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ULSTER COUNTY – Central Hudson’s billing practices are still being scrutinized by elected leaders.  On Thursday, three leaders sent a joint letter to Central Hudson calling for the utility company to take immediate actions to correct the issues.

Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan, New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey, and Assemblymember Kevin Cahill sent the joint letter to Central Hudson on behalf of their constituents who have been egregiously impacted by the company’s billing practices.

“This has been a fundamental failure by Central Hudson, and yet we – their customers – are paying the price; that is completely unacceptable,” Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan said. Senator Hinchey indicated that she will continue to apply pressure on Central Hudson until the errors are rectified.  “Central Hudson has failed our community members in a way that is truly unfathomable, forcing families to make heartbreaking choices between paying their overinflated, often inaccurate utility bills and putting food on the table, or paying their rent or mortgage.”

Central Hudson has been given a substantial amount of time to correct the errors but the problems persist.  Assemblyman Cahill said “The company has been given ample time to address these longstanding problems, rectify billing disputes and provide accurate information to customers.  Their failure to do so has eroded public trust.

The three elected officials are calling for the following remedies from Central Hudson:

  • Reconnect any customer whose service was terminated from August 2021 to the present and halt all new termination efforts through May 1st, 2023;

  • Reverse any and all late fees, interest accruals, and negative credit reports from August 2021 to the present;

  • Offer a minimum Deferred Payment Agreement (DPA) at $0 down and $10/month to any residential or small business customers in arrears whose bills can be determined to be legitimate and subsequently verified and approved by the Department;

  • Retroactively apply charges based on the specific month in question when issuing corrected invoices for previous billing periods and provide credits in situations where such practice has not been carried out;

  • Zero out balances for any customers in arrears who do not receive corrected, accurate, and verified bills by June 30, 2022; and

  • Increase transparency and better communicate the market prices, calculations, and hedging activities that determine the rates consumers pay.

The Department of Public Service (DPS) is currently investigating Central Hudson’s customer information system implementation and the resulting billing errors. The investigation was triggered by Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan, who used his legal authority as the chief executive officer under Public Service Law §71.




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