The heat’s on Hochul.
Gov. Kathy Hochul bashed Con Edison’s plan to hike gas and electric rates for tapped-out locals Tuesday — but critics zapped her for offering few solutions to stop bills from skyrocketing.
The Democrat held a news conference in her Manhattan office after days of mounting outrage from tapped out New Yorkers who would pay an $1,848 more per year compared to five years ago if Con Edison’s proposal is OK’d by state regulators.
“The burden is already high,” Hochul said and referenced a Post story about a Queens building owner who is switching to oil to save money.
“Listen to someone who is switching to dirtier heating oil because he can’t afford his gas bills.”
Con Edison is asking the state Public Service Commission for the increases for its 3.6 million customers that would jack up electric bills by 11.4% and send gas bills soaring 13.3% – increases Hochul called “intolerable” and “shocking.”
“This is a real hit on families,” Hochul said, joined at the presser by representatives of the AARP and the Community Service Society.
“They didn’t budget for this. They weren’t planning for this.”
The rate hike would wipe out planned $500 “inflation refund” checks planned as part of the governor’s budget proposal.
“And these bills going up upwards of $500 a year — I’m trying to put $500 back in their pockets because of the inflation rebate, and it’s going to go right out the door to pay this bill? Come on, how are they supposed to get ahead?”
Hochul appointed the leadership to the regulatory agency, and she sent a letter to PSC Commissioner Rory Christian to reject the rate hikes scheduled to go into effect in 2026.
But others zapped back at Hochul, with one Democratic rival saying rates have ballooned under the governor’s watch while others blamed her own green-energy push for soaring costs.
Rep. Ritchie Torres, who is eyeing a primary run against Hochul in 2026, said Hochul “is the problem.”
“Since 2022, the Governor has been enabling ConEd to raise gas rates by 25.5% and electric rates by 18.7%,” Torres told The Post.
“She’s been enabling ConEd to overcharge the people of the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, and Westchester for gas delivery by as much as 200% (when compared to National Grid).”
“Governor Hochul is not part of the solution. She IS the problem,” he went on.
“The governor is taxing New Yorkers with higher gas and electric rates while pretending to provide an ‘inflation refund’ and a ‘tax cut.’ With inflation refunds and tax cuts like these, who needs inflation and taxation?”
City Councilman Robert Holden (D-Queens) blamed Hochul and her predecessor, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo for pushing for green energy without alternatives for the grid.
“The mad rush to go green at all costs, combined with government overreach banning natural gas hookups and gas stoves, has only worsened the inflation of the past four years,” Holden said.
“We cannot continue punishing New Yorkers by increasing their rates, taxes, and everyday expenses. Our utilities and government need to live within their means, and we need real transparency and accountability in how they spend our tax dollars.”
The numbers show that customers are struggling to pay their bills — with a staggering 500,000 of ConEd 3.6 million customers at least 60 days overdue in their bills, according to Beth Finkel, director of AARP’s New York State chapter.
Con Ed said it’s out $1.4 billion from residents in the arrears.
Hochul, for her part, said she would ask the regulators to look at “management compensation” at state utility companies.
She also admitted customers pay “hidden taxes” — as Con Ed and other energy utilities pass on property taxes and other costs to customers. She put $500 million in her prior budgets to offset some costs, she said.
“I encourage you to look at the property tax increases for Con Ed inthe city of New York. That is what our analysis shows as the real driver,” Hochul said.
“We are talking to the city about that.”
She also wants to know if the city property taxes are tied to helping utilities comply with the state’s clean energy mandates to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 and achieve 100% zero-carbon-emission electricity by 2040.
Con Edison said its proposed rate increases will bring “renewable energy sources online to help meet the state’s clean power goals.
“Our energy efficiency programs help our customers use less energy and save money, we’ve invested 300 million dollars in energy assistance programs for low- and moderate-income customers in 2024 and continue work to enroll all eligible customers, and advocate for policy changes to make utility bills more affordable,” a spokesperson said.
PSC, in a statement, said Con Ed’s case, as all others, will be scrutinized during a rigorous11-month review.
“At Governor Hochul’s direction, DPS [Department of Public Service] will pore over the utility’s books to identify ways to cut costs,” PSC spokesman James Denn said.
“For the major electric and gas utilities, the approved rates after this process are nearly always lower than what is requested, due entirely to this time-tested stakeholder review process.”
