Con Ed rate increases blasted at public forum hosted by Erika Pierce
Residents and elected officials condemned Con Edison for its requested double-digit rate increases during the Westchester County Board of Legislators’ latest public forum Tuesday evening in Mount Kisco.
Pierce observed:
“I think the idea is they come up with this outrageous number so they can negotiate it down to look like they are reasonable. But realize, really, at the end of the day, what they end up at is still too much, but it looks better because it’s in comparison to this gigantic number, which they never assumed they were going to get in the first place.”
Legislator Pierce said the board was holding these sessions specifically on the delivery charge, not the cost of the electricity, the only part of customers’ bills that it is allowed to make a profit under state law.
Con Edison’s latest delivery charge request is 18% for electricity and 18.8% for gas, according to Pierce. If that is approved, then the effective rate increase would be 11.5% for electricity and 13.3% for gas.
