BILL NUMBER: S5596

SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring the
notification of a public utility company's or municipality's customers
when the supply rate increases by at least one hundred percent

 
PURPOSE:

This bill would require utility companies to notify their customers when
an actual or projected energy supply rate is one hundred percent greater
the prior month's supply rate.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends the public service law by adding a new section 44-a to
require a utility company or municipality which supplies energy to noti-
fy their customers on their website when they determine that an actual
or projected energy supply rate will be at least 100 percent greater
than the month prior.
              

Section 2 states that the act shall take place immediately.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Ratepayers are often blindsided when they receive a supply rate bill
from their utility company that is significantly larger than their prior
bill. The new electric bill can sometimes be 100, 200 or even 300
percent greater than the bill from the prior month. This unexpected
increase can cause a heavy financial burden on customers.

This bill seeks to make it clear to customers by giving notice prior to
completion of the billing cycle that there is a potential for a large
increase in their supply rate. Utility companies would be required to
publish in a conspicuous part of their website a notice to customers
when the energy supply rate has the potential to be 100 percent greater
than their last bill.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

A10782 of 2017-2018 A3155 of 2019-2020

2021-2022: S4628

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

NONE

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.