POUGHKEEPSIE – When COVID-19 brought the economy to a standstill, Central Hudson Gas and Electric Corporation provided an electric and gas bill relief program to assist low-income families who faced financial hardships as a result.
Now, the utility is placing a surcharge on every customer’s bill to pay for that relief program.
State Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson (D, Newburgh), who has been blasting Central Hudson over their billing SNAFU due to a software conversion months ago, is furious about this surcharge.
“After what consumers have been suffering through this past year with all the increases, with all the problems with billing, the one thing that consumers should not have is another tax on them,” he said. “Central Hudson can certainly afford to absorb this. They are making tons of money. They are able to get their dividends going out the door. There is no reason to pass this cost along to consumers.”
The surcharge, as approved by the state Public Service Commission, began on August 1 and will be on every monthly bill for a year.
The utility said it needs to recoup over $2.6 million for electric relief and over $670,000 for natural gas relief.
