Enacts the "rate hike notice act" which requires utilities in the state of New York to provide notice of a proposed rate hike to a customer via text, email and via such customer's monthly billing statement.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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5553--C
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 24, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sens. COMRIE, FAHY -- read twice and ordered printed, and
when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommu-
nications -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
amended and recommitted to said committee -- reported favorably from
said committee, ordered to first and second report, ordered to a third
reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place in the
order of third reading -- recommitted to the Committee on Energy and
Telecommunications in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- commit-
tee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recom-
mitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to enacting the
"rate hike notice act"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 the "rate hike notice act".
3 § 2. Subdivision 12 of section 66 of the public service law is amended
4 by adding a new paragraph (n) to read as follows:
5 (n)(i) Within one business day of the publication of the information
6 required pursuant to subparagraph (i) of paragraph (l) of this subdivi-
7 sion, the commission shall require each utility to send electronic
8 notice of a proposed rate increase via text to all customers for whom
9 such utility contacts through text provided that such customers have
10 been provided an option to opt-out of such contact. The text shall
11 inform such customer that such utility is proposing a rate increase in
12 the customer's service area. Such text shall contain the following:
13 (A) the name of the utility proposing a rate increase;
14 (B) the percentage increase to electricity and gas rates for the typi-
15 cal residential customer;
16 (C) the percentage increase to electricity and gas rates for the typi-
17 cal commercial customer;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04975-08-6
S. 5553--C 2
1 (D) instructions for where ratepayers can find additional information
2 pertaining to the rate case; and
3 (E) clarification that this rate increase will not take effect until
4 approved or modified by the commission.
5 (ii) Further, within one business day of the publication of the infor-
6 mation required pursuant to subparagraph (i) of paragraph (l) of this
7 subdivision, the commission shall also require each utility to send
8 electronic notice of a proposed rate increase via email to all customers
9 for whom such utility contacts through email, provided that such custom-
10 ers have been provided an option to opt-out of such contact, and such
11 email notice shall include information identical to the information
12 provided on the commission's website pursuant to paragraph (l) of this
13 subdivision.
14 (iii) In addition to the requirements in subparagraph (ii) of this
15 paragraph, each utility shall include a notice of a proposed rate
16 increase in each customer's next monthly bill statement and such notice
17 in the monthly billing statement shall consist of a separate page which
18 shall include information identical to the information provided on the
19 commission's website pursuant to paragraph (l) of this subdivision.
20 § 3. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
21 have become a law; provided, however, it shall not apply to any proceed-
22 ing before the Public Service Commission relating to a major change in
23 rates that was commenced prior to the effective date. Effective imme-
24 diately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation
25 necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are
26 authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
