AARP: Energy Even Less Affordable With PSC Approval of $1.2 Billion Con Ed Rate Hike

Low Income and Middle Class families take the hit.

ALBANY, N.Y. – AARP New York State Director Beth Finkel today released the following statement about the New York State Public Service Commission’s (PSC) approval of a $1.2 billion, three-year Consolidated Edison rate hike that will raise residential customers’ delivery rates by 25% on gas used for cooking, 34% on gas used for heating, and 16% on electricity:

“New York State has an energy affordability problem, and today it got worse with the actions of the PSC. AARP was hoping Governor Cuomo would weigh in as he has in the past when Con Ed ratepayers and other New Yorkers have faced a massive hit like this to their wallets, but he said nothing - very disappointing.

This Con Ed case is further evidence of the uneven playing field that exists in New York when it comes to consumer representation before the Public Service Commission. Without an act of leadership, residential ratepayers will continue to be outnumbered and their needs underrepresented.”

Follow us on Twitter: @AARPNY and Facebook: AARP New York

AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With nearly 38 million members and offices in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen communities and advocate for what matters most to families with a focus on health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the world’s largest circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.

###