New Yorkers are about to get some relief on their electricity bills.
Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced that promised energy rebate checks will begin reaching residents later this month. The payments come through the Protecting Our Wallets Energy Rebate (POWER) program, which was funded in May.
Beginning Sept. 21, New York will distribute rebates to 8.2 million eligible households statewide. The payments will continue through December, arriving as colder weather approaches and seasonal heating costs begin to rise.
The rebates were included in this year’s state budget, with Hochul allocating $1 billion to help millions of New Yorkers manage high electricity costs.
Payments will range from $100 to $200, depending on household income and tax-filing status. Single filers earning less than $150,000 will receive $100, while joint filers with incomes between $150,000 and $300,000 will receive $150.
The largest POWER rebate, worth $200, will go to joint filers whose income is below $150,000.
Residents had to meet the following requirements to qualify:
“Too many families are struggling with rising household energy bills and soaring gas prices at the pump — and that’s why we’re putting money directly back in New Yorkers’ pockets by sending energy rebate checks to millions of families as part of our affordability agenda,” Gov. Hochul said in a statement.
Since 2021, utility bills have been rising due to costly grid upgrades, growing demand from data center consumption and sharply rising rates.
According to a recent report, New Yorkers pay the third-highest residential electricity prices in the country — trailing only Hawaii and California.
New York’s residential electricity prices were an eye-watering 29.93 cents per kilowatt-hour in May, based on the latest federal data, the analysis found.
New York’s prices were a whopping 62% higher than the national average, nearly double Florida’s and over 80% higher than Texas’. Electricity prices in the Empire State rose 12% from a year earlier — twice the rate of increase for the US average.
