Energy Innovation Archives - Mid-Hudson Energy Transition

MHET’s John Garay on Rise Up Radio

John Garay, MHET’s Bilingual Community Coordinator, was interviewed on Radio Kingston by Yolanda Knox and Katrina Houser to talk about Mid-Hudson Energy Transition’s programs and how community members can get involved.

The conversation is a great window into what our work looks like on the ground: not just policies and programs, but real people, real needs, and real pathways to making homes healthier, more affordable, and more energy efficient.

John talks about how MHET works with community members across the region, especially those who are too often left out of clean energy and energy efficiency programs. The interview explores how our programs are designed to meet people where they are (linguistically, culturally, and practically) and how trust, relationships, and accessibility are just as important as the technical side of energy work.

As our Bilingual Community Coordinator, John focuses on outreach, communication, and direct support for underrepresented communities, helping make sure the energy transition isn’t something that happens to people, but something they can actively participate in and benefit from.

This Rise Up Radio interview is a warm, practical, and grounding conversation about what energy justice looks like when it’s rooted in real lives and real neighborhoods.

Give the interview a listen and let it be a reminder that the energy transition is, at its core, a community project.

Jasmine Graham on Climate with Kiana

Throwback Thursday! At the end of 2023, Executive Director, Jasmine Graham, was a guest on Climate with Kiana, a podcast that explores climate solutions through a framework of joy and justice.

Climate with Kiana is all about something we deeply believe at MHET: that the path to a sustainable future isn’t just technical or policy-driven, it’s human. The show uplifts conversations with climate, energy, and sustainability leaders who are working toward solutions that are not only effective, but equitable, community-rooted, and life-affirming. It’s a space for curiosity, reflection, and honest conversation about how we get to a more just and joyful world.

In this episode, Jasmine and host Kiana dig into some of the big questions that sit at the heart of our work: What does energy justice really mean? What does energy democracy look like in practice? And what does a just transition require from our policies, our institutions, and ourselves?

They talk about the historical role policy has played in shaping our energy systems and how those systems have too often produced unequal and unjust outcomes. Jasmine shares perspective on why equitable energy solutions aren’t a “nice to have,” but a necessity if we’re serious about addressing the climate crisis in a way that actually improves people’s lives.

The conversation also traces Jasmine’s own journey working in clean energy in New York State, and the experiences that shaped their understanding of what’s possible when communities are centered in the transition. Along the way, Jasmine reflects on what continues to bring them inspiration, hope, and joy in this work because even in the face of enormous challenges, there are real, living examples of change happening right now.

It’s a thoughtful, grounded, and deeply human conversation about how we move from extractive systems toward ones built on care, participation, and shared power— exactly the kind of future we’re working toward at MHET every day.

We’re grateful to Climate with Kiana for creating space for these conversations and for uplifting the stories of people working toward just, sustainable, and joyful climate solutions.

Give the episode a listen and let it remind you that a better energy system isn’t just possible. We’re already building it.

The Opportunity for Thermal Energy Networks in a Just Transition

Connor Cantrell | 11/20/2025

Climate change is here, it’s accelerating, and our goal now must be to mitigate the harm it is causing and will cause. This is becoming more difficult because the federal government is actively working against a green transition, let alone an equitable one. Without federal resources and protections, the energy transition will be driven by private interests, not the public good. In this grim context, the focus of the just energy transition we need must be local and grounded in the communities suffering most from climate chaos and fossil fuel pollution.

The most vulnerable households in our communities are facing the heaviest burdens. If the energy transition is unmanaged, those who have enough resources to own a home, to install solar and geothermal, to buy batteries, to weatherize, to electrify, will do so, and they will save money doing it. These homes will be less reliant on the grid, while households who can’t afford these upgrades are left footing the bill for the grid as it decays. It’s a perfect example of how having less money makes basic needs more expensive.

So we need a managed transition that doesn’t leave anyone behind. First, because of the love for our neighbors in our hearts, and second, because only a holistic approach can deliver comprehensive success. Have we transitioned away from fossil fuels if more than half of the population is still dependent on them? Of course not. The end of fossil fuel dependence needs to be complete.

Decarbonizing needs to happen at scale. This is not cheap. And since we’re in an environment where funding is uncertain, we need to develop our own reliable sources of funding. In the absence of institutional support, we have to create our own institutions. In the wealth building biz these are called anchor institutions.

In New York State, we’re operating in an energy ecosystem controlled by private, for profit utilities that maintain state sponsored monopolies over the electric and fossil fuel infrastructure. There are policy initiatives to change this status quo, but we also need to institute material changes with an urgency commensurate with the toll of climate collapse.

The big investor-owned utilities won’t orchestrate a managed transition themselves. In fact, they are fighting it: the incentives for for-profit institutions are to keep costs down and revenue up, and prevent competition. They’re not constructed to manage a just transition and we can’t expect them to operate against their interests.

But we can use the early stages of TEN development in New York as an opening to create our own institutions.

Each of New York’s seven largest investor-owned utilities is constructing a pilot thermal energy network (TEN) in accordance with the Utility Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act (UTENJA). But their construction, development, and mass application are expensive, and, as noted, inconsistent with the structured profit incentives enjoyed by the utilities. We have not seen any indication that they plan to rapidly expand the adoption of thermal energy networks. Most of the utilities have not been enthusiastic about building TENS, because they replace the lucrative gas infrastructure with these renewable, highly resilient systems. That will cut into their bottom line, benefitting the customers instead of the corporations.

Utility scale thermal energy networks present an opportunity to decarbonize at scale. The Building Decarbonization Coalition provides a good explanation of thermal energy networks (TENs) here. Very simply, TENs move heat around through underground water-filled pipes to warm and cool buildings. They get their heat from the earth’s constant, moderate temperature and from buildings in the system, even from sewage plants. They take excess heat from homes in summer to cool them, store it underground, and deliver it in winter.

So here’s the proposal: We create thermal energy networks that are structured to achieve a just transition. For example, the West Union, Iowa thermal energy network is municipally owned. Meaning that if the system isn’t working, the public has an opportunity to apply political pressure to an incumbent or challenger for local office. We can also construct TENs as independent non-profits, which also avoid the for-profit incentives of investor owned utilities.

Either way, we have a local energy system that has a guaranteed revenue stream from distributing affordable heating and cooling and that revenue can be used to expand the system over time. TENs are modular, and they become more efficient as they increase in size and as they diversify the kinds of buildings they serve. Residential, commercial, and industrial heating and cooling needs all feed into the ability to balance the system.

So, in an environment with dwindling opportunities for resources, we can start small and grow. We can expand and reach more members of our community and achieve ever increasing economies of scale. And, since these systems are local, the buildings that pay into the TEN for their heating and cooling needs avoid exporting that money out of their community.

When we pay a Central Hudson utility bill in Kingston, it goes to a Canadian holding company. But if we were paying a local TEN, that money would go to local jobs and the further expansion of equitable decarbonization. Keeping money local and growing wealth locally.

The best time to start a thermal energy network was twenty years ago. The next best time is today.

Terminations and Their Outcomes

Ryann Busillo | 8/5/2025

In our previous blog, Connor summarized Final Termination Notices (FTNs) and Deferred Payment Agreements (DPAs). Here, I’ll dive deeper into terminations and their outcomes, exploring questions like: how often do terminations occur, and what happens before—and after—a shutoff?

Why Energy Is Not Just another Subscription

Receiving a Final Termination Notice is flat-out undesirable. In today’s world, energy is a basic requirement for almost everything we do, whether we realize it or not. It’s easy to forget how deeply we rely on this service when all it takes to turn on the lights is a flick of the switch. But as easy as energy is to access, it is not ours. We, the people, do not own the power plants or the transmission lines that bring electricity to our homes and businesses. Like Netflix or Spotify, we pay a “subscription” fee to use it. But energy is unique: we depend on it, and we pay for it after we’ve used it, much like a line of credit.

While services like Netflix and Spotify might offer entertainment, they don’t provide the foundation for daily life or a dignified existence. Energy does.

More Than an Inconvenience: A Day Without Power

Imagine waking up and walking to the bathroom. You reach for the light switch, but nothing happens. It’s frustrating, but the morning sunlight is enough to get by. You move through your routine and turn the shower knob to hot. It’s January in Kingston, and the cold air makes you crave warmth. You notice it was harder than usual to get out of bed. The water never heats up. The radiator is cold to the touch.

Earlier in the month, Central Hudson sent you a Final Termination Notice. But with gas, groceries, and rent already stretching your budget, you left the notice on the kitchen counter. This was your first time falling more than two months behind—winter energy bills tend to be higher due to heating, and you hadn’t anticipated the unexpected $75 increase, even while trying to limit your usage. Five days later, Central Hudson sent you a Deferred Payment Agreement. You read the terms: a 15% down payment and monthly installments at about half your usual bill. You think, I can’t afford this. I need to eat. I need gas to get to work. And keeping a roof over your head feels more urgent than the energy bill.

Your phone rings. It’s your boss. The battery is at 2%. You run to the car to charge it, skipping breakfast—your stove doesn’t work, and the fridge is no longer running.

Stories like this aren’t hypothetical, they reflect the real, everyday trade-offs thousands of customers are forced to make. And the data backs it up.

May 2025: Breaking Down The Numbers

In May 2025, Central Hudson issued 14,510 Final Termination Notices. Of those, 6,800 reached “field action” status, meaning their meters were officially eligible for shutoff. In the end, 1,109 accounts were actually terminated—about 16% of those eligible for shutoff. As shown below, only 4.9% of accounts who received an FTN were shut off.

A Note on Central Hudson’s Shut off Practices: Central Hudson’s collections team is small, so staff focus on terminating accounts with the oldest or largest debt; if another field action account happens to be along the same route, it might get shut off, too.

Understanding Your Options After an FTN

Let’s break down what’s happening. FTNs are only sent to customers who are 60 or more days behind on their energy bill. At that point, customers have two main options: enter a Deferred Payment Agreement or apply for public assistance—more on that later. A third, less realistic option is to pay the balance in full. But for customers already struggling to pay a single month’s bill, this isn’t feasible.

So, what happens to those 1,109 accounts that were actually terminated? As with the options following an FTN, customers can: enroll in a DPA, attempt to access public assistance, or pay the balance in full—again, an unlikely choice.

The Reconnection Reality: What the Data Tells Us

It’s important to note that this is a generalization—the data does not distinguish between accounts that were shut off and reconnected within the same month versus those disconnected earlier and reconnected later. Still, the takeaway is clear: Deferred Payment Agreements (DPAs) remain the primary pathway to avoid or recover from service termination.

According to Central Hudson’s report, in May 2025, 590 of the 1,109 accounts were reconnected, while 519 remained disconnected by month’s end. Of the 590 reconnected accounts, 578—about 52% of all shutoffs—were restored through DPAs. Only 12 customers, or 1.1%, were reconnected using grants from the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) or the Department of Social Services (DSS).

Put simply: Out of every 100 homes at risk of termination in May 2025, 84 avoided shutoff altogether. Of the 16 that lost service, 8 were reconnected through a Deferred Payment Agreement (DPA), one was restored through HEAP or DSS assistance, and 7 remained without service by the end of the month.

FTNs and Shutoffs: A Historical Look

The graph above shows the percentage of at-risk accounts that actually lost service each month from January 2020 through May 2025. In late 2020, fewer than 2.3% of eligible customers were disconnected (compared to 16% in May 2025). Then, in April 2020, New York State imposed a pandemic-related moratorium on shutoffs that lasted through December 2021. Central Hudson’s botched rollout of a new billing system in September 2021 (see: How the Number of Households in Debt to Central Hudson Skyrocketed) led regulators to pause shutoffs until April 2024. FTNs resumed in December 2023—not to immediately shut off customers, but to reopen access to financial assistance. As counterintuitive as it may sound, receiving an FTN, while stressful, is often the first step toward getting help with overdue bills.

What Happens After an FTN Is Issued?

An FTN means more than just a potential power loss. Under the Home Energy Fair Practices Act, it marks the beginning of a minimum 15-day notice period before shutoff can occur. As mentioned above, a DPA is typically offered five business days after an FTN is issued. If the terms are unaffordable, customers can call Central Hudson and ask if they qualify for a minimum payment agreement by submitting a financial statement. This step is crucial: DSS usually won’t provide assistance unless the customer is enrolled in a minimum agreement—or has no income.

Other programs—like HEAP, Emergency HEAP, and Central Hudson’s Bill Discount Program—do not require a payment agreement to apply. However, Central Hudson’s Good Neighbor Fund does require that a customer first default on a minimum payment agreement before qualifying.

Debt Relief or Debt Management? A Shifting Strategy

When we look at reconnection trends over time, a shift in outcomes emerges. In early 2020, about 23% of service restorations came from HEAP or DSS, while 28% were through DPAs. For customers in Central Hudson’s Energy Assistance Program (EAP), 62% of reconnections were through HEAP or DSS and 13% through DPAs. But by May 2025, only 1.1% of reconnections came from HEAP or DSS, while 52% were through DPAs. EAP data for the same period show 20% from HEAP or DSS and nearly 59% from DPAs.

This shift suggests a transition away from debt relief toward repayment plans that stretch out the debt over time. Across all customers, reconnections using HEAP or DSS decreased by 22 percentage points (from 23% to 1.1%), while those using DPAs increased by 24 percentage points (from 28% to 52%).

The Barriers to Public Assistance

Returning to the options available after receiving an FTN or being shut off—enter a DPA, seek public assistance, or pay in full—we see how limited the options truly are. Paying in full is unrealistic for most, and reconnection data shows public assistance rarely works in practice. As sociologist Dr. Diana Hernández documents in Powerless, energy assistance programs are often riddled with complexity. Limited funding, narrow eligibility rules, and a lack of transparency mean that even well-meaning programs can fail the people they’re designed to serve.

Some customers are excluded due to income thresholds that don’t reflect actual cost of living. Others never even hear about the programs in time. And for those who do qualify, the burden of applying—paperwork, deadlines, follow-ups—can be overwhelming when you’re already in crisis.

Closing Thoughts & What’s Next

In short, DPAs have become the only reliable path for most customers to avoid shutoff and restore service. In my next blog post, we’ll take a closer look at the trends and interactions between Central Hudson’s customers in arrears and the Deferred Payment Agreements that are supposed to assist them. If you need help navigating a Final Termination Notice or understanding your DPA, don’t hesitate to reach out. And! If you’re looking for a guaranteed way to save on your utility bills, you might benefit from our community solar program. We’d love to hear from you.

Energy Costs in Summer vs Winter

Michelle Rochniak | 6/26/2025

Winter heating and summer cooling use a substantial amount of energy in your home. But which costs more on average?

You might think this simple question would have a simple answer. But the kind of energy you use in the winter probably isn’t the same energy you use in the summer. And when looking for an average cost, your neighbors may not use the same energy as you in either season, or at all. Energy sources won’t have the answers we need — we have to observe our climate instead.

Imagine if it was over 90°F every single day for all of July this year. That’s how many “extreme heat days” (above 90°F) that Region 5 of New York may experience over the course of a year by the end of the 2020s.

The Hudson River Estuary Program estimates that, by the end of the decade, the Hudson Valley will have between 19 and 31 days that are above 90°F every single year. The number of extreme heat days is doubling from the 10-12 days above 90°F in the baseline era of 1971-2000.

On the other side, there are “cold days,” where the temperature is at or below 32°F. In the Hudson Valley, there will be less cold days by the end of the decade, with Regions 2 (orange area on map) and 5 (green area) experiencing between 108 and 136 by the end of the decade compared to their baselines of 138 and 155. That’s a loss of almost three weeks of cold days in both regions.

While that indicates we’ll need less heating in the winters, we’ll need more energy to stay cool in the summers. The Hudson Valley regions used to have 1-2 heat waves a year with 4 days each during the baseline era. But by the end of the decade, both regions could have 3 or 4 heat waves a year — with 5 days each.

In 2020, environmental health scientists at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the University of Washington published a study that examined severe weather-driven power outages in New York State between 2017 and 2020. The study suggests that, of all urban areas outside of New York City, the Hudson Valley and Long Island had the most severe weather-driven power outages. And power outages are more likely to happen when temperatures go above 86°F in all non-NYC urban areas. That means more power outages in Kingston are more likely as we see more days of 90°F or higher per year.

Our current backup generator system is also not enough. The energy grid is relatively stable for now. But when we do need backup energy, we tend to use diesel generators. Those generators cause a lot of air pollution and can further endanger our neighbors’ health.

While everyone will feel these changes, they’ll hit historically marginalized communities the most — who have already experienced the brunt of climate change up until and including now. It’s irresponsible to create a future where this is still the case.

While it isn’t clear what will cost more, summer cooling will likely use more resources as temperatures rise with energy costs. But no one, especially marginalized communities, should have to pay this rising price. If we don’t change now, we’ll keep contributing to an unjust, exclusive energy system.

Introduction to Termination Notices in Central Hudson

Connor Cantrell | 6/25/2025

In May 2025, fifty thousand households served by Central Hudson were over sixty days in arrears. Specifically, 51,479 of the 274,264 total households had been in debt to the utility for more than two months, with an average balance of $2,661. Central Hudson publishes these numbers monthly.

Horrific status quo aside (I wrote about it here) the arrears category is worth examining on its own. Once you’ve carried a balance with Central Hudson for over sixty days, you receive your first termination notice.

In that termination notice, you’ll find an offer for a deferred payment agreement. This is the avenue Central Hudson offers for struggling homes to make their way out of debt. Which, in some ways, makes sense. As a profit-driven business, their emphasis is on collecting payments. So, the solution to customer debt is a plan that allows Central Hudson to collect the money they are owed, rather than a plan to meaningfully address the cause of the debt.

A typical agreement starts with a large down payment and the rest of the balance is divided over the next six payment periods. You can see a sample of this deferred payment agreement here. The second page of the sample agreement lists the standard terms, where the customer is charged 30% of their total balance as the down payment. This down payment is added to any bills issued after the termination notice is sent. So, if you receive a termination notice and a month passes before entering into a payment agreement, that month’s bill is also due along with the down payment. Then come the monthly installments, which are either:

The cost of your average monthly usage, or
One-sixth of the balance—whichever is greater.

This is all in addition to upcoming bills, which are still due in full. Otherwise, the agreement defaults and the total balance becomes due again.

So, if the average debt is $2,661 in May 2025, a customer would be responsible for $798 up front, followed by six payments of $310, on top of the normal monthly energy bills. Does this sound like a solution for a household already struggling to pay?

Here’s what that looks like based on Central Hudson’s average monthly energy costs per year, including electricity and gas.

There is some leniency, to be fair. The debt doesn’t accrue interest, and if you can show financial hardship, you can negotiate for a zero-dollar down payment and $10 monthly payments instead of the initial offer.

But how many people know that? I know because I’ve been talking to social services coordinators and researching it. But Central Hudson doesn’t seem to advertise this information. The sample agreement I found mentions the possibility of negotiation in two small paragraphs, and I can’t find anything about it on Central Hudson’s website. How do you prove financial hardship? The answer is through participation in assistance programs. Which come with their own administrative barrier to entry.

The one-size-fits all price of residential energy is a major driver of these situations. Since the price of energy is fixed across users, and every household needs energy to maintain a normal standard of living, lower-income households end up paying a much higher percentage of their budget to the utility. So the cost of energy is functionally regressive. One family might pay 5% of their income toward energy, while another pays 20% for the same service.

Instead, we could institute a progressive structure, where households are billed a percentage of monthly income for energy costs. The utility would take a portion of your income, scaled to what you earn. The NY HEAT Act proposes exactly this. If it passes, bills would be capped at 6% of monthly budgets for low-income households.

Privately owned utilities have no incentive to institute similar measures on their own. As for-profit organizations, their goal is to grow revenue year after year while keeping their costs down. A big part of that commitment to revenue is the process of collecting payment.

If you can’t pay, you don’t get lights at night. You don’t get internet access. Again, being fair, there are exceptions. Customers can apply for protected status to avoid shut offs in Central Hudson, for example, if you have life sustaining equipment in your home. But this structure also puts the administrative burden onto those homes. If you’re struggling, if you’re in a difficult situation, you need to prove it. That’s the kind of accommodation you get with a for-profit system.

Instead, our utility system should be designed around care. It should meet our needs without holding us hostage for having those needs. That’s what we’re fighting for at Mid-Hudson Energy Transition and why we proudly support the Hudson Valley Power Authority Act. When power is returned to the people, rather than given to for-profit corporations, real problems are solved, basic needs are met, and the lights stay on.

If you are struggling with your utility bill, Contact Us

If you are interested in saving up to 20% on your utility bill every month, sign up for our Community Solar Program.

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If you have questions or just need to talk through your situation, we’re always here. Contact us.

For help with navigating termination letters and submitting complaints to the PSC, check out this guide by Communities for Local Power: CLP Termination Letter Guide.

Mayor Noble Announces Community Solar Program

KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble is pleased to announce that the City of Kingston is partnering with local non-profit Mid-Hudson Energy Transition (MHET) to bring affordable, renewable energy to residents with Kingston Community Solar, a new initiative that allows residents to subscribe to a local solar farm and receive utility bill credits.

With Kingston Community Solar, project, a collaboration of MHET and PowerMarket, income-eligible participants can save up to 20% monthly on electricity, with no upfront cost, long-term contracts, or maintenance required and without the need to install solar panels.

“This is exactly the kind of innovative, community-driven solution we’ve been working toward,” said Mayor Noble. “Kingston has long been a leader in sustainability, and this partnership ensures that the benefits of clean energy are reaching the families who need them most. It’s a win for our residents and for our planet.”

Kingston Community Solar prioritizes income-eligible households to join a shared renewable solar project, which pumps clean energy into the local power grid. Participants continue to receive electricity from Central Hudson and, as the solar project produces clean energy, receive credit on monthly electric bills.

“Families are getting crushed by skyrocketing electricity bills and a fossil fuel system that puts profit over people,” said Jasmine Graham, Executive Director of MHET. “Kingston Community Solar gives our community a real solution—lower bills, cleaner energy, and long-term relief. It’s one of the few ways people can consistently save money for decades while helping to move us off dirty energy. We’re so grateful to the City of Kingston for stepping up and making this possible.”

Enrollment is now open to Central Hudson customers. More information and registration can be found here.

The City of Kingston is a leader in efforts to create a more energy-efficient and sustainable community. Kingston has taken a comprehensive approach to building a city that is equipped to meet modern challenges and embrace 21st century opportunities. The Sustainability Office manages the City’s environmental projects, initiatives, and programming, including energy, land use, climate adaptation and resiliency, transportation, recycling and environmental education. Current projects include Community Choice Aggregation, Organics Diversion, Community Preservation Planning, Waterfront Flooding Resiliency, Building Decarbonization and more. More information about the City of Kingston’s sustainability efforts at https://kingston-ny.gov/sustainability.

Tips for Energy Efficiency

As the colder months continue on, it’s essential to implement energy-saving strategies to maintain a comfortable home environment while reducing utility costs. Here are some tips to enhance your home’s energy efficiency:

1. Seal Drafts and Insulate

Prevent cold air from entering your home by sealing leaks around windows, doors, and other openings. Use caulk or weatherstripping to seal gaps, and consider adding insulation to areas like attics and basements to improve heat retention. Need help sealing drafts? The MHET office has FREE weatherization kits (including window spray foam, pipe wrap insulation, and door sweeps). Stop by to pick one up, 280 Wall St, Suite 379, Kingston, NY!

2. Optimize Thermostat Settings

Adjusting your thermostat can lead to significant energy savings. When you’re home and awake, set it to the lowest comfortable temperature. Lowering the thermostat by 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit for eight hours, such as when you’re asleep or away, can save around 10% annually on heating bills. Programmable thermostats can automate these adjustments for convenience. Ask MHET how to get a FREE smart thermostat!

3. Maintain Heating Systems

Regular maintenance of your heating system ensures it operates efficiently. Replace furnace filters monthly or as needed, and schedule annual check-ups with a professional to keep the system in optimal condition.

4. Use Energy-Efficient Appliances

When replacing appliances, opt for those with the ENERGY STAR® label, indicating they meet energy efficiency guidelines. Energy-efficient appliances consume less energy, leading to lower utility bills. Learn how you can get FREE energy efficient appliances for your home through one of MHET’s programs here!

5. Manage Water Heating

Water heating accounts for a significant portion of energy use. Lower the water heater temperature to 120°F to save energy and reduce the risk of scalding. Additionally, insulating the water heater tank and pipes can prevent heat loss. Learn how you can get a FREE energy efficient heat pump hot water heater for your home through one of MHET’s programs here!

6. Leverage Local Programs

Residents in the Mid-Hudson region can benefit from local initiatives aimed at promoting energy efficiency. MHET’s Home Upgrade Grants (HUG) Program was designed to assist homeowners in making energy-efficient improvements and NYSERDA’s EmPower+ Program allows low- to moderate-income residents to apply for energy efficiency incentives.

Implementing these strategies not only contributes to a more comfortable living environment but can also lead to savings on energy bills. By taking proactive steps, you can enhance your home’s efficiency and reduce its environmental impact.

Special thanks to Martina and Zoe for suggesting this blog post!

Sources:

https://www.mortgagecalculator.org/helpful-advice/energy-saving-tips-for-homeowners.php

https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/fall-and-winter-energy-saving-tips

How the Number of Households in Debt to Central Hudson Skyrocketed

Connor Cantrell | 1/8/2025

New York State utilities publish statistics on how many homes are carrying past due balances every month. In Central Hudson’s case, more than one in five homes are 60+ days into debt as of November 2024 and the average amount owed by those homes is $2,290.

In January 2020, less than one in ten homes were in the same situation and their average debt was $409. In real numbers, roughly twenty thousand households have turned into sixty thousand households that are 60+ days in arrears over the course of four years.

How did this happen? The first thought is Covid, right? It screwed everything up, probably utility debt too. But the data doesn’t bear that out.

The pandemic started in March 2020 and we don’t see a meaningful change in the percentage of households in arrears until September 2021. Central Hudson instituted their shut off moratorium in March 2020 as well, which meant that regardless of how much a home owed the utility, they would not lose service. So it’s not that policy either. Although I’ve heard that explanation from Central Hudson employees. And it makes sense. Without the threat of losing service, more people might skip paying their bills.

There is a small increase in customers in arrears from March to May but the slight uptick does not explain where we are today.

The significant increase occurred in September 2021, the same month Central Hudson instituted their new billing system – after thirty years of using a previous system. And the roll out was fraught to say the least. You can read about the Public Service Commission’s investigation into Central Hudson and the botched roll out here. It’s dated 12/15/2022.

The report details a slew of errors and issues with the new system. It overcharged “over 8,050” residential customers, produced inaccurate bills and estimates, and delayed billing as well. Further, the system automatically withdrew an incredible amount of money from customers’ bank accounts,

“…several customers whose bills were delayed as the result of system errors, suddenly had money withdrawn from their accounts for multiple months’ worth of bills. Between September 2021 and June 2022, over 30,000 customers who were accustomed to receiving a monthly bill, had multiple months’ worth of charges automatically withdrawn from their bank accounts. During that period, Central Hudson automatically withdrew over sixteen million dollars ($16,000,000) from customers’ bank accounts…” (p. 17).

It seems that the confusion, errors, and delays caused by the billing system’s roll out doubled the percentage of accounts in arrears. For example, someone could have been paying their balance regularly, received two or three months of charges suddenly, and then carried those extra charges forward, slowly paying it down over the course of months and months, thus adding them to the graph above. It’s much easier to get into debt than to get out of it.

Although Central Hudson has corrected their billing errors and settled with the Public Service Commission, the numbers indicate that customers are still struggling under the weight of the billing errors.

Central Hudson’s new billing system was instituted in September 2021 and they “… reported that as of September 11, 2022, over 8,000 customers’ bills were still not current” (p.17) in the PSC’s investigation.

The PSC’s report explains what led to the botched rollout as well. Central Hudson’s budget for developing and implementing the new billing system expanded and expanded and Central Hudson employees in support roles – the people responsible for using the system, answering calls, and troubleshooting errors – were under prepared before the rollout in September 2021.

“… [T]he planned training curriculum contained zero hours of training for ‘Complex Billing’, zero hours for ‘Net Metering’, and zero hours for ‘Manage Retail Choice Suppliers’. Rather than dedicate training to these complex scenarios, Central Hudson instead chose to hope that employees would pick up proficiency through testing in a manner that was ‘ad hoc’ and ‘not tracked’” (p. 27).

The result of this lack of preparation? Our neighbors are still dealing with the accumulated debt in 2024.

The situation facing thousands of Central Hudson customers in arrears is an excellent example of why, at MHET, we believe we need a system that prioritizes the wellbeing of the people it serves, not the profits it can make from them. Such a system would deliver a wholly different service.

The status quo of our current energy system empowers for-profit entities to make sweeping decisions for our region and the same goes for most other regions in New York State. The fallout from Central Hudson’s implementation of a new billing system is exactly the kind of harm that current incentives fail to prevent. And exactly the kind of harm that current residents of the Hudson Valley are forced to shoulder.

This is why Mid-Hudson Energy Transition champions energy democracy. Our energy system should be owned, controlled, and responsive to local communities. If the local community is unhappy with the quality of service or the cost of their bills there needs to be a way to express that dissatisfaction and meaningfully change the causes of dissatisfaction. In this way, the priority of the energy system would be the wellbeing of community members and not shareholders.

The people affected by a system should have the final say in its structure and implementation. If we create a system that prioritizes the wellbeing of our neighbors, we will have a system that supports the wellbeing of our neighbors. And if we continue along with the same for profit incentives with the same structure of accountability, we will continue to see our communities suffer for it.

Mid-Hudson
Energy Transition