Electric, gas bills to increase under three-year agreement
The average monthly electric bills for Central Hudson customers in the Highlands will fall in the first year and rise in the second and third under a new three-year rate plan approved on Thursday (Nov. 18) by the state Public Service Commission.Â
Customers will, on average, see electric bills that are 33 cents lower in the plan’s first year, which began on July 1; $1.72 a month higher in the second year and $1.82 higher in the third. Monthly gas bills will initially rise by an average of $1.64, and then by $2.17 and $1.50 in the final two years, according to the PSC. The plan runs through June 30, 2024.Â
Central Hudson, which initially proposed higher rate increases, also agreed to provide $31 million in discounts to eligible low-income customers, reduce its carbon footprint and cease offering incentives to switch from oil to natural gas.Â