Dear Public Service Commission,

We, the undersigned residents and business owners of Greene, Albany, Ulster, Columbia, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, and Sullivan county, NY, formally submit this community complaint regarding excessively high delivery charges by Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation. For years, our community has endured unreasonable and unjustified delivery costs for electricity and gas. Repeated complaints to both local and state government officials have yielded no relief, leaving us feeling unheard and financially burdened.

Our most recent utility bills reflect an alarming imbalance between the cost of actual energy usage and the excessive delivery fees imposed by Central Hudson. Below are examples from our community members' billing statements for the period of January 4, 2025 – January 31, 2025:

Electricity Used: 2,143 kWh

Delivery Charges: $320.12
Supply Charges: $161.65
Delivery Charge per kWh: $0.1495 (nearly double the supply charge)
Gas Used: 237 Ccf

Delivery Charges: $347.27
Supply Charges: $96.14
Delivery Charge per Ccf: $1.465 (approximately 3.6 times the supply charge)

These rates are substantially higher than regional and national averages and place an undue burden on households and businesses alike. Many of us are forced to choose between paying these bills and covering other basic necessities.

A History of Overcharging and Unresolved Complaints:

We are not alone in our frustration. Central Hudson has a well-documented history of overcharging and billing issues, as demonstrated by:

A $64.59 million settlement approved by the NYPSC in 2024, following widespread complaints about inaccurate and excessive billing.

Over 2,000 complaints filed with the Department of Public Service's Office of Consumer Services in recent years, detailing billing errors, inflated charges, and unresponsive customer service.

Local and state officials, including Congressman Pat Ryan, calling for oversight and rejecting Central Hudson’s proposed rate hikes—yet, no meaningful changes have been made.

Demands from the Community:

We are demanding immediate regulatory action from the NYPSC to protect consumers from these unjustified charges. Specifically, we request:

A full and transparent audit of Central Hudson’s delivery charge structure, including an investigation into whether these fees are inflated beyond necessary operational costs.

A moratorium on any further rate increases until Central Hudson can demonstrate that their charges are fair and justified.

Immediate corrective actions and consumer refunds if it is determined that delivery charges have been unfairly inflated.

More rigorous oversight of Central Hudson’s billing practices to prevent further financial harm to residents and businesses in our community.

We Deserve to Be Heard:

Residents and businesses are tired of being ignored. Our voices must matter in these regulatory decisions. We urge the NYPSC to take our concerns seriously, investigate these excessive fees, and ensure that Central Hudson is held accountable for their pricing practices. If action is not taken, we will explore further legal and political avenues to demand fairness in our utility costs.

We expect a formal response addressing these concerns and outlining the steps that will be taken to remedy this situation.

Sincerely,

The Residents and Business Owners of Greene, Albany, Ulster, Columbia, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, and Sullivan county, NY