By Joseph Saladino
New Yorkers are opening their utility bills this winter and asking the same question: How did it get this expensive?
For families, seniors on fixed incomes and small businesses already squeezed by inflation, the answer is alarming.
In New York state, the cost of electricity and heating isn’t driven solely by usage. In many cases, 65 to 70 percent of a utility bill is made up of taxes, fees, policy surcharges and delivery charges. That means the majority of what residents pay has little to do with the energy they actually consume. It’s insanity!
As supervisor of the Town of Oyster Bay, I hear from residents every day who are forced to choose between heating their homes and paying for groceries, prescriptions or property taxes. This isn’t an exaggeration — it’s the reality facing hardworking families across Long Island and around the state.
New Yorkers now pay nearly double the national average for electricity. While energy costs have risen nationwide, no other state places such an extraordinary burden of added charges on ratepayers. These costs stem from state-imposed mandates, subsidies and regulatory programs, which are layered onto every bill. Residents aren’t just paying for energy — they’re paying for policy.
Delivery charges alone often exceed the actual supply charge. Layered on top are renewable-energy surcharges, public-benefit fees, energy-efficiency mandates and other assessments that few consumers understand, and even fewer can afford. Transparency is lacking, accountability is minimal, and the financial burden continues to grow.
At the same time, New York’s energy policies are moving in the wrong direction. Reliable power plants that provide stable, affordable electricity have been shut down or forced offline. In their place, the state is investing heavily in technologies that aren’t yet capable of delivering consistent, large-scale energy at an affordable cost. While renewable energy has a role in our future, the current pace and structure of these mandates are driving costs upward while jeopardizing reliability, and your wallet.
When dispatchable energy sources are eliminated before viable replacements exist, supply tightens and prices climb. Residents pay more, businesses face rising operating costs and our economic competitiveness suffers.
Manufacturers, small businesses and employers look elsewhere, where energy is affordable and predictable.
Public policy should protect residents, not punish them.
Energy policy must balance environmental responsibility with affordability and reliability. Instead, New York has pursued aggressive mandates without fully considering their financial consequences.
We need a reset.
First, Gov. Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature must reduce the hidden taxes and policy surcharges that inflate utility bills. Families deserve transparency and relief.
Second, the state must preserve reliable energy sources while transitioning responsibly to new technologies.
Shutting down power plants creates scarcity and drives up costs.
Third, policymakers must prioritize affordability. Energy is not a luxury — it’s a necessity. Seniors shouldn’t be afraid to open their utility bills, and families shouldn’t be forced to ration heat in the middle of winter.
New Yorkers are proud to lead in innovation and environmental stewardship. But leadership shouldn’t come at the expense of affordability and common sense. Our residents deserve energy policy grounded in realism, transparency and fiscal responsibility. Until Albany recognizes the real impact of its decisions, New Yorkers will continue paying the price — literally. It’s time to put ratepayers first.
Joseph Saladino is supervisor of the Town of Oyster Bay.
