Letter from Lolly Winne Clough

Billing Spikes Hurt All of Us

I am deeply concerned about the extreme and unexplained billing spikes many in our community are facing from NYSEG. My 85-year-old mother, a loyal customer for nearly 20 years, has seen her “budget billing” jump from about $85.00 a month to $170.00, and most recently to over $400. Now NYSEG is telling her she has an overage of more than $1,000 this year—when all previous years, her annual balance was only a couple hundred dollars at most. After two decades of consistency, how does it suddenly skyrocket like this?

My mom has always been careful with electricity use. She raised six children to turn off lights and appliances when leaving a room, and to keep the thermostat high in summer and low in winter. Her home is often uncomfortably hot in July and freezing in January—all in the name of saving energy. Yet now she’s being told even higher bills are coming before year’s end. When will it stop?

When pushed for answers on the outrageous increase, and after I informed the agent that my mom heats her home with kerosene, the agent concluded that my mom “must’ve been supplementing with electric heaters”—which I assured her was absolutely not the case. Instead of providing clarity, she simply repeated there had been a 2¢ per kW increase and a “significant” delivery charge hike, with no detailed breakdown. Is there anything that can be done about this?

I know my mother isn’t alone. Many neighbors are also complaining about shocking bills. If you are experiencing the same issue, join the Facebook group “NYSEG needs to be held accountable!!”—where there are already more than 22,000 members sharing similar stories.

This is not just a senior issue—it’s a community issue, and it’s time for the Public Service Commission, the Attorney General, and our elected officials to hold NYSEG accountable.

Lolly Winne Clough
(On behalf of my mother, Sue Winne, Otsego County)