TODAY: Brooklyn Electeds Demand Albany Stop Waiting, Pass NY HEAT Act NOW as National Grid Raises Rates AGAIN

BROOKLYN, NY (04/01/2025) (readMedia)-- Today, as National Grid again raise gas rates for Brooklyn customers, Brooklyn electeds are demanding that Albany pass the NY HEAT Act in this year's budget to lower utility bills and curb future gas rate hikes. Since 2023, National Grid has repeatedly raised rates on customers in Brooklyn. Now, National Grid is raising rates higher - forcing the average family to pay over $40 more per month for the same service - and their newest rate hike will be followed by another nearly $20 increase in 2026!

The NY HEAT Act would limit the amount households are forced to pay for energy, alleviate rate hikes like this one, and save the Brooklyn constituents who need help most an average of $139 each month on their bills. Brooklyn residents are counting on the Assembly to get this bill done. The Senate already passed the bill - now it's on the Assembly to deliver for families in need.

Quotes from elected officials who represent Brooklyn residents impacted by National Grid's rate hike are below:

"New Yorkers are being squeezed by exorbitant utility costs, and it's about to get even worse. National Grid's latest rate hike is going into effect, adding to the financial strain on hardworking families. Utility companies are investing in outdated fossil fuel infrastructure-instead of embracing cleaner, more cost-effective alternatives-and they expect customers to foot the bill. The NY HEAT Act will change that. I am committed to advancing this bold plan to cut costs, modernize our energy infrastructure, and ensure a more sustainable future," said Assembly sponsor Jo Anne Simon.

"Energy prices are skyrocketing, placing a heavy financial burden on locals throughout New York State, including my Assembly District 58 of East Flatbush, Crown Heights, Canarsie and Brownsville. National Grid is preparing to raise gas rates by 11.1% this April and Con Edison plans a 11.4% hike next year. These steep increases impact our vulnerable residents, including low-income families, the elderly, and small businesses that are struggling to stay afloat. Our communities deserve more affordable solutions to powering and heating their homes without straining their pockets. It is evident that these changes demand real policy changes like the NY HEAT ACT to protect households and prioritize people over unfair pricing," said Assemblywoman Monique Chandler-Waterman.

"Household energy bills are already too high and utilities continue to spend huge sums to repair and build out polluting gas infrastructure at the expense of ratepayers. It is imperative that the Legislature pass the NY HEAT Act now, which will help facilitate our transition to green energy while providing a path to stabilize energy costs," said Assemblymember Robert Carroll.

"I stand with my colleagues as we call for New York to pass the NY Heat Act. Heating one's home should not be a debilitating financial burden. We must continue to advocate for lower, more affordable rates in Assembly District 60 and beyond," said Assemblymember Nikki Lucas.

"There are far too many people in my district and across the city who must make the difficult choice between putting food on the table or paying their utility bills. The NY HEAT Act, which I co-sponsor in the Assembly, would cap utility bills at 6 percent of a family's income, delivering a savings of $139 each month. Folks need this savings now. Not in the next legislative session. Not two years from now. We need it now, as National Grid delivers a gas rate increase in April and Con Edison prepares to raise rates next year. The NY HEAT Act is exactly what's needed to protect people like my constituents in Brownsville, Ocean Hill, Weeksville, Bedford-Stuyvesant, East New York and East Flatbush, who are disproportionately burdened by high utility bills and the effects of climate change," said Assemblywoman Latrice Walker.

"The sky-high cost of our decaying utility infrastructure is making our city even less affordable for working families. The burden to maintain National Grid's outdated framework should not fall on the shoulders of the hardworking residents of New York whose budgets are already stretched thin. The NY HEAT Act will alleviate the stress imposed on ratepayers as a result of unilateral decisions by utility companies to continuously increase rates on the backs of the ratepayer. Enough is enough. It is time for the legislature to act," said Assemblymember Brian Cunningham.

"We have a way to bring down the skyrocketing cost of utilities: the NY HEAT Act. Every New Yorker deserves an opportunity to live a dignified life, this includes not having to worry about how you will heat or cool your home. It is beyond time we act and I urge my colleagues in the Assembly to put people over profits and pass the NY HEAT Act," said Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes.

"The NY HEAT Act will bring much-needed relief to New Yorkers and address skyrocketing utility charges and rising temperatures due to climate change. It is a a groundbreaking piece of legislation designed to combat the relentlessly rising temperatures and extreme heat events that are plaguing New York and will only get worse the longer we delay. I'm calling on the Governor and our legislative leaders to include the NY HEAT Act in this year's budget," said Assemblymember Phara Souffrant-Forrest.

"National Grid and ConEdison are both planning double digit rate hikes to pay to fix their outdated, crumbling infrastructure. This is unacceptable. As elected leaders in this moment, we have a responsibility to fight for our constituents. That means fighting to lower their utility bills; it means fighting to improve their air quality and infrastructure; and it means fighting for a livable future by doing everything we can to address climate change. NY HEAT accomplishes all these goals. It makes sense, and we must pass it in the budget to get New York closer to meeting its nation-leading climate goals," said Assemblymember Emily Gallagher.

As of September 2024, approximately 1 in 7 households in New York was two months or more behind on their energy bills. This crisis is impacting more than 1.2 million families, who are collectively in debt more than $1.3 billion dollars to utilities. According to a recent report from AGREE, since 2022, every major gas utility in New York State has raised the cost of energy for their customers:

• For Con Edison customers, the average monthly cost of gas heating has increased by nearly $50 since 2022 - from $205 to $253.
• For National Grid customers in NYC, the average monthly cost of gas heating has increased by more than $60 between 2023 and 2026 - from $110 to $172. For National Grid customers in Long Island, the average monthly cost of gas heating will increase by nearly the same amount - from $105 to $165.
• For Central Hudson customers, the average monthly cost of gas heating has increased more than $20 since 2022- from $138 to $157.
• For National Fuel Gas customers, the average monthly cost of gas heating has increased by nearly $15 - from $81 to $94 - since just 2023.

Background

The Home Energy Affordable Transition Act, also known as the NY HEAT Act, will reduce the expansion of New York's outdated and dangerous fracked gas system and save the 1 in 4 New Yorkers who struggle to pay their energy bills an average of $136 every month. The bill modernizes archaic state laws that force New Yorkers to pay hundreds of millions of dollars each year to subsidize new fracked gas hookups and pipelines. It would limit households' energy burdens and would allow utilities to provide cheaper and clean heating alternatives at no additional cost to customers – a win-win for New Yorkers and the environment.

The NY HEAT Act will also free New Yorkers from the gas mandate (also known as "the utility obligation to serve gas"), an antiquated state law that locks utilities, and consequently the vast majority of New Yorkers, into the dirty, expensive, aging gas system for heat. Because of the gas mandate, one home that wants to stay on the gas system can be the deciding factor for an entire neighborhood that would otherwise have the opportunity to receive cheaper, cleaner heating alternatives from their utility. The NY HEAT Act would require utilities to provide easy access to the most affordable and healthier heating options for their families.

According to a Siena Poll, New Yorkers agree by an overwhelming 58% to 26% that the legislature should pass the NY HEAT Act. Support for the NY HEAT Act is popular across party lines, with 67% of Democrats, 47% of Republicans, and 55% of independents agreeing it should pass. The bill is also popular with 60% of upstate voters, 55% of union households, and across income groups. 74% of Black voters and 70% of Latino voters also support the legislation. An even larger share, 51 - 17%, said that lawmakers did not do enough to improve the quality of life during last year's legislative session.

State action against climate change is crucial as Trump takes office and vows to go all-in on fossil fuels. 2024 was the hottest year on record, and New Yorkers experienced wildfires, flooding, and tornadoes. The NY HEAT Act will help New York fight climate change and it will protect New Yorkers from an unpredictable Trump administration by helping to stabilize heat and energy prices.