Petition: We Need Utility Debt Relief Now!

New York is in the middle of an energy crisis. NY residential customers alone owe over $1.5 billion in unpaid bills to utilities, and businesses owe another $600 million. We were already paying sky-high prices for energy, and the recent bill hikes have seen some New Yorkers' bills double or triple in the last few weeks alone. This is a catastrophe, and it's not sustainable.

We need our state leaders to take action. We are calling on Governor Hochul, the New York State Legislature, and the Public Service Commission to make the for-profit utilities pay for debt relief, not the ratepayers. Utility shareholders have been making major money throughout the pandemic, and it is fundamentally unjust to ask New Yorkers to foot the bill for their profits when so many people have to choose between paying for groceries or running their electricity. We also call upon LIPA and other agencies not directly regulated under the PSC's authority to structure debt relief in a way that works for working people and helps low-income households escape a cycle of debt.

Sincerely,