I am launching this petition out of shared frustration and urgent concern over the surging utility costs that are crippling families across Albany, Schenectady, Troy, and the wider Capital District. As someone who has personally battled the broken corporate practices of National Grid, I am deeply troubled by the financial burden placed on our community. For YEARS now, I've watched in anguish as neighbors, friends, and everyday families are forced to make heart-wrenching decisions: sacrifice the warmth of their homes during harsh Northeastern winters or forego cooling during the blistering summer heat. This is not merely inconvenient—it’s a matter of survival.

Over the past several years, we've witnessed relentless rate hikes and an alarming increase in delivery fees, making monthly utility bills exorbitant and unsustainable. This situation is particularly dire for our most vulnerable residents: the elderly/disabled living on fixed incomes, single parents attempting to provide for their children, and hard-working individuals striving to make ends meet. The choice between ensuring a safe temperature in their homes or fulfilling other essential needs should not be one they have to make.

The New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) must urgently address this crisis by enforcing fair and transparent billing practices. We are calling upon Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature to conduct a comprehensive review of utility rate structures and impose necessary regulations to prevent excessive and unjustifiable increases. Moreover, we advocate for the establishment of an independent consumer protection office to offer unbiased support and resolve disputes swiftly when billing inconsistencies arise.

**Corporate Exploitation and the Complete Denial of Consumer Due Process** 

National Grid operates an extractive monopoly that routinely deprives Capital District residents of basic consumer protections. Across our communities, households are being subjected to unexplainable price spikes, double-billing for the same service periods, and arbitrary fee increases that directly resemble illegal price gouging. When everyday citizens uncover these discrepancies and present definitive, documentary proof of billing errors or overcharges, National Grid systematically refuses to accept the evidence. 

Instead of maintaining a transparent dispute process, the company relies on predatory administrative barriers to wear consumers down. National Grid routinely misplaces critical account data, loses records of past customer communications, and fails to preserve historical billing information—especially after a consumer closes an account. When customers attempt to rectify these errors, they are forced into an exhausting cycle of corporate avoidance. They are shuffled between representatives, given conflicting instructions, and repeatedly told that their prior records "do not exist" in the system. This deliberate negligence strips consumers of their ability to prove their case, effectively forcing them to pay fraudulent balances under the immediate threat of utility disconnection or aggressive collections actions. Many people have had their credit damaged or completely destroyed in this process.  

### **An Urgent Demand for a Comprehensive Regulatory Audit**

These pervasive and destructive failures extend far beyond simple technical glitches. The pattern of double-charging, administrative evasion, and the outright rejection of clear consumer evidence points to a culture of systemic corruption designed to maximize corporate revenue at the expense of captive ratepayers. National Grid has proven that it is entirely incapable of self-regulation or honest record-keeping. 

Therefore, we demand that the **New York State Public Service Commission (PSC)** launch an immediate, independent, and comprehensive forensic audit of National Grid’s billing systems, consumer dispute protocols, and collection mechanisms in the Capital District. This monopoly must be legally forced to open its books, account for vanished consumer data, and answer for the predatory billing practices that are actively driving local families into financial crisis. We demand absolute transparency, immediate restitution for overcharged households, and strict regulatory penalties for this corporate misconduct.

The evidence is clear: according to recent data analyzed by New York energy groups, customers in the Capital District are seeing utility payments devour an unprecedented portion of their monthly income, making it one of the highest percentages in the state. This is not just a local issue but a profound systemic failure that demands a comprehensive and compassionate response from our elected representatives.

By signing this petition, you stand with the Capital District’s residents in demanding a fundamental change. Add your voice to call upon our leaders to act decisively in safeguarding the basic need for affordable energy. Together, we can push for reforms that ensure every family can live with dignity and financial security. Please join me in demanding action from our officials to end this energy affordability crisis now.