(Albany, NY) — New York State Department of Public Service has expanded its investigation into New York State Electric & Gas Corp. in connection to potential mismanagement of its billing systems and protocols.
The department’s Consumer Advocate is hosting a series of public forums in affected areas to hear consumer complaints. Two sessions are scheduled in Binghamton on Wednesday, February 8 from 1p.m. to 3p.m. and another from 6p.m. to 8p.m., both in the First Floor Conference Room at the Binghamton State Office Building, 44 Hawley St., Binghamton.
The potential problems with NYSEG’s billing system became apparent when the department began to see a significant spike in the number of complaints from customers — about a 50 percent increase. As a result, staff commenced a review and investigation into a September 2022 change to the NYSEG customer information and billing system.
Customers who are experiencing problems with NYSEG should follow the normal consumer complaint process to ensure their complaints are received and hopefully iresolved in a timely fashion.
Customers should first contact NYSEG for resolution, and if unable to get a satisfactory resolution from the utility provider, customers should contact the Department’s Office of Consumer Services to file a complaint.
Additionally, the New York State Home Energy Fair Practices Act has comprehensive protections for residential customers regarding their utility services.
These rights include:
- the option to pay bills in installments,
- a cap on late fees,
- sufficient notice prior to services being shut-off,
- and protections ffo those on a fixed income or with medical conditions.
Learn about these from the Department of Public Service website at AskPSC.
NYSEG, a subsidiary of AVANGRID, serves 907,336 electric customers and 270,204 natural gas customers across more than 40 percent of upstate New York.
