Albany, NY – On Thursday, Assemblymembers Simon, Gallagher, González-Rojas, Levenberg, Stirpe, Tapia, Burdick, Rosenthal and Shrestha rallied at the Capitol to urge their colleagues to put the NY HEAT Act (A4870) in the final budget. Every utility company across the state has hiked rates in recent years, and many are seeking to jack up bills even more – even though 1 in 4 New Yorkers can’t afford their energy bills, and 1.2 million families are two or more months behind on their bills.

Watch the press conference here.

Yesterday, fossil fuel lobbyists rallied with Minority Senators to demand the Legislature take no action to address rising utility bills, so that the industry can continue to price gouge New Yorkers. At the same time, Trump has vowed to go all-in on fossil fuels. The Senate Majority included the NY HEAT Act in their one-house budget proposal for the third straight year, and the Governor has supported it – now, Assemblymembers are urging their colleagues to deliver lower bills for their constituents with the NY HEAT Act.

The NY HEAT Act is the clear long-term solution to New York’s affordability crisis: it will lower monthly energy bills, curb future rate hikes, protect against looming federal energy tariffs, and save the families who need it most an average of $136 on their energy bills every single month.

Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon said, "Instead of focusing on rising utility bills, fossil fuel lobbyists and their Republican allies are busy spreading deceitful messages about solutions like the NY HEAT Act. On top of that, Trump’s tariff threats and push for dirty fracked gas will drive energy costs even higher.” She continued, “The Assembly must act to protect New Yorkers from skyrocketing costs and the devastating impacts of the climate crisis. The NY HEAT Act is a clear solution – it will lower bills, curb utility rate hikes, and shield families from Washington’s reckless actions."

“Our state’s energy infrastructure stands at a crossroads, caught between an outdated, unhealthy, and costly gas pipeline system and a transition to a cleaner, more affordable, and more sustainable future of energy. Passing the NY HEAT Act is common sense legislation that responds simultaneously to the affordability and the climate crisis, decisively moving our state towards a cleaner and greener horizon,” said Assemblymember Al Stirpe.

“New Yorkers are suffering from the crippling cost of living and with increases looming as the Trump administration enacts ridiculous tariffs, residents are crying out for our action. It is imperative we do what we’re supposed to do and pass the NY HEAT Act in this budget. It is unfair that every day, hardworking New Yorkers struggle at the hands of greedy corporations and billionaires. We have to take action now. I urge my colleagues in the legislature to prioritize the needs of our neighbors and urge the passage of the NY Heat immediately,” said Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas.

"At a time when more than 1 in 7 New Yorkers are behind on their energy bills, we cannot let exorbitant prices continue to rise. The NY HEAT Act, which I am proud to co-sponsor, will create a new path forward by capping low-to-middle-income New York residents' energy costs at 6% of their total income while also phasing out natural gas infrastructure," said Assemblymember Harvey Epstein.

"My constituents need New York HEAT. We need relief from high utility costs. It is environmentally and financially unsustainable for utility companies to continue burdening ratepayers with the cost of repairing and expanding gas infrastructure when better alternatives exist. New York HEAT provides a path to an affordable, sustainable future by capping household utility bills and enabling us to move away from gas. Let's get this done ASAP!” said Assemblymember Dana Levenberg.

“1 in 7 households in the state is already behind on its energy bill, and the continuous expansion of the gas infrastructure is only going to make it worse. First, replacing a mile of gas pipe costs a ratepayer $60,000 on average, and second, the high cost of a new gas hook-up is subsidized by passing it to all ratepayers. It's time to pass the NY HEAT Act, which ends gas subsidies for a new hook up and instructs the PSC to come up with a plan on how to cap bills at 6% of the household’s income – something they already said they would do, but they have not acted on yet. Requiring them to come up with a plan could include fixing existing energy affordability programs, where 1.1m New Yorkers who would qualify are still not enrolled. Doing so and helping new homes to electrify would be cheaper than subsidizing the gas infrastructure and ever-increasing arrears,” said Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha.

“I am proud to stand by colleagues and advocates to call for increased renewable energy sources in our state. NY HEAT ACT is commonsense legislation that will make New York a cleaner, more climate-resilient state, all while saving taxpayers money by no longer having to pay for repairing old, outdated gas lines. This bill will establish New York State as a pioneer of renewable energy sources and provide a framework for other states to follow,” said Assemblymember Chris Burdick.

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 will increase 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 (S4158 / A4870), 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.