Some 2.5 million more New York households could be eligible for monthly discounts on utility bills under a plan spotlighted by Gov. Kathy Hochul Tuesday, Sept. 15.
Downstate, four-person households earning $162,000 or less would qualify for the state's Energy Affordability Program (EAP). Upstate, the cutoff for four-person households would be $133,000.
Currently about 1 million New York households are enrolled in EAP, saving hundreds of dollars per month per year on utility bills. Under the new income levels, which took effect in January, millions more could qualify, the governor's office noted.
At a press conference in Manhattan, Hochul said the discounts could add up to savings of up to $500 a year for many residents.
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“So today, half of all households in the state of New York are eligible for extra help with their energy bills,” Hochul said. “And that includes a lot of working families who never thought a program like this would be available for them.”
Find out if you're eligible
Discounts will be tied to income levels established by the state, designed to keep the typical bill at less than 6% of household income. Those already in other financial assistance programs will be automatically enrolled while others will need to apply.
Discounts for downstate customers of Con Edison start at $113,400 for single-person households. Upstate, discounts for single-person household customers of National Grid and other utilities start at around $70,000.
For a full list of discounts by income level and information on how to enroll go to NY.gov/eap or contact your utility.
In the coming weeks, the state Department of Public Service will roll out an advertising campaign to alert New Yorkers about the expanded program.
On September 21, the state will start mailing out energy rebate checks of up to $200 to some 8.2 million eligible New York households.
Thomas C. Zambito covers energy, transportation and economic growth for the USA TODAY Network’s New York State team. He’s won dozens of state and national writing awards from the Associated Press, Investigative Reporters and Editors, the Deadline Club and others during a decades-long career that’s included stops at the New York Daily News, The Star-Ledger of Newark and The Record of Hackensack. He can be reached at tzambito@lohud.com
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY expands energy discounts to 2.5M more customers. See who's eligible
