POUGHKEEPSIE – Congressman Pat Ryan (NY-18) joined with state and local elected officials and business owners in Poughkeepsie to denounce the rate hikes proposed by Central Hudson Gas & Electric. The utility company is proposing a rate increase of 16 percent for electric and 19 percent for natural gas delivery.
“Central Hudson’s proposed double-digit rate increase is blatant corporate greed,” said Ryan.
“Raising prices this much, with Hudson Valley families already feeling the economic pressure, would be unacceptable even if everything at Central Hudson was running perfectly. But everything isn’t running perfectly or even close to it,” he said, adding on behalf of our entire Hudson Valley community, we’re calling on the PSC to reject Central Hudson’s rate increase.”
Central Hudson spokesman Joe Jenkins said the utility is “committed to addressing and resolving all of our customer concerns in a timely fashion, and that includes those that come to us through our elected officials.”
“I have friends who make a living doing honest work every day for Central Hudson – this isn’t about them. This is about my friends that own businesses or are elderly and on a fixed income in this community who can’t make ends meet because of Central Hudson executives’ irresponsible and unacceptable business practices,” said Dave Amato, owner of Ole Savannah Table and Bar and a Central Hudson customer. Amato said his utility bill at Ole Savannah was $4,000 and $5,000 per month before the estimated billing system that Central Hudson implemented. The utility bill immediately went to $15,000 per month. “For months I was on their case, and when they finally got around to fixing it, they didn’t give us cash, but instead a Central Hudson credit on a piece of paper.”
Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson has been at the forefront of fighting Central Hudson over the erroneous billing for the last two years. He told Mid-Hudson News after the meeting that “Central Hudson should not be rewarded with a rate increase. Customers have learned not to trust the numbers from Central Hudson, and neither should the Public Service Commission with respect to the requested rate hike.”
Central Hudson’s Jenkins said that in nearly every case where the utility’s customer service team discussed their concerns, “the customers are now receiving timely and accurate bills.”
He also highlighted a series of actions the company has taken to resolve billing issues. “In the last year we held a dozen community meetings and have worked with more than 1,000 customers either directly or in partnership with elected leaders,” said Jenkins. “During these meetings, customers are able to sit down with experienced members of Central Hudson’s customer service team to discuss any questions or concerns they have with their account.”
He also said Central Hudson is working with the newly appointed Public Service Commission’s independent, third-party monitor who is verifying the accuracy of the utilities’ bills.
