Make the Call!

Call your State Senator and your State Assemblymember and ask them to cosponsor the legislation to lower fixed customer charges in New York.

Basic Bill Details

Senate Bill Number:  S6241
Senate Sponsor:  Jen Metzger

Assembly Bill Number:  A8118
Assembly Sponsor:  Robert Carroll

Who to Call:

Please call both your State Senator and State Assemblymember. 

Look up your State Senator and Assemblymember

Sample Call Script: 

Hello, my name is __[your name]________. I live in ___ [your town or city] ________ and I'm a constituent of __[legislator you are calling]______. I'm calling to ask the Assemblymember/Senator to cosponsor the bill to reduce the fixed customer charges that utilities charge on our electricity bills. The legisation is S6241/A8118,  sponsored by Jen Metzger in the Senate and Robert Carroll in the Assembly. New York’s utilities  have some of the highest fixed charges in the country, depriving customers of control over their energy costs and making it harder to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy. These fixed charges also hurt low-income customers, making them subsidize high energy users. Please co-sponsor this legislation and work to get it passed this year. 

More Information About the Bill 

Bill name: Adjustment of electric distribution company residential fixed charge.

Summary of Legislation: This bill will reduce energy bills for the average low-income customer and incentive energy efficiency by reducing the fixed portion of residential customers’ electricity bills. The fixed charge (also known as the customer charge or basic service charge) is the portion of the bill that the customer cannot reduce no matter how little energy they use. This bill would ensure that utilities can only include specific kinds of costs when determining the fixed charge for their customers, and should lead to a reduction in fixed charges across the state. 

Reasons to Pass the Legislation:

• New York’s utilities have some of the highest fixed charges in the country, depriving customers of control over their energy costs.
   
• On average, low income customers are impacted the most by fixed charges. This bill would reduce electricity costs for the majority of low-income customers and ensure fairness in the way electricity rates are set.
   
• Lowering fixed charges will improve the economics of energy efficiency and conservation. Currently, energy efficiency measures are disadvantaged by fixed charges because efficiency can only lower a portion of a customers’ bill. By reducing fixed charges, customers who save energy use will see a higher cost reduction on their bills.