Letter from Maureen Dill

NYSEG/Avangrid Victimizing NYers

According to national statistics, one in five Americans subsists on Social Security income. Here in Otsego County, an estimated 25-30 percent of the residents in the Butternut Valley towns of New Lisbon, Morris, and Butternuts are over retirement age and may be subsisting on Social Security or retirement income.

Many NYSEG/Avangrid utility consumers reported having received invoices for a four-week period that represent an estimated 400 percent increase in utility expenses when compared to previous years. In some cases, their monthly utility costs are well over $1,000.00! Here at the home we have occupied for 23 years, our monthly utility costs have jumped from an average of $250.00 to more than $850.00! NYSEG’s inflated utility costs to consumers are unacceptable and are impacting the economic stability of many Upstate New York residents.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, public utilities such as NYSEG are exempt from laws governing monopolies. During the past year, the New York State Public Service Commission held public hearings in order to gain insight into the nature of widespread consumer complaints. Despite our FOIL requests for minutes of these public hearings, as well as minutes of the closed-door meetings between the PSC and NYSEG, whereby double-digit increases in New York State utility costs were authorized, we have not yet received responses to these requests for electronic minutes of said meetings.

NYSEG’s parent company in Spain is Iberdrola. One of Iberdrola’s principal investors is the oil/gas-rich Saudi nation of Qatar. Qatar recently reported record profits on their investments in Iberdrola. How, then, does this translate to dramatic increases in supply and delivery charges being passed on to consumers here in New York State?

We are collecting reports from NYSEG/Avangrid consumers here in the Butternut Valley and intend to bring consumers’ evidence to the Otsego County Board of Representatives and our elected officials. The governing body of Otsego County should, as the governments of other counties across the state have done, address these complaints. Residents are now also giving consideration to filing a class action lawsuit.

Our government—whether county or state—must not allow the consumers of this NYSEG/Avangrid utility to be victimized!

Maureen Dill
Town of Morris