New York State's budget bill would allow New York's more than 8 million residents to receive a check to help offset rising utility costs. Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul and the Democratic majority in the State Assembly and Senate have proposed allocating $1 billion for this, and therefore the initiative is likely to be adopted in the near future, Gothamist notes.
To receive a check of up to $200, a taxpayer would have to be a New York resident in 2024, the bill says. There is no need to submit an application for this – payments will come automatically.
Their amount depends on income and marital status: married couples earning up to $150,000 a year will receive a maximum of $200. Those earning between $150,000 and $300,000 a year are entitled to $150, while singles and heads of households receive $100.
According to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, the state processed nearly 11 million tax returns worth $61 billion in 2024. Therefore, more than 8 million eligible residents could count on the payment.
“We will do everything we can to protect people, their families, from the prohibitive rates we face, and demand accountability from our utility companies that sometimes spend too much and then pass those costs on to families,” Gov. Hochul said Thursday of the initiative.
Her opinion is shared by fellow Democrats – New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes, who represents Brooklyn, said that the program as a whole will bring “relief” to residents.
“We are trying to somehow help taxpayers who are bearing the burden of high energy prices, be it gas bills, electricity bills, gasoline bills,” Gothamist quotes him as saying.
At the same time, there were critics of this program, including Steve Rhodes, a Republican from Nassau County. At the debate on the bill, he called the payments “crumbs” and said the real problem with utility bills is the taxes and fees themselves.
“We would offer real action by eliminating the taxes, fees, surcharges and requirements that we place on utilities and the consumers who ultimately pay their utility bills,” the Republican said.
The state's average monthly utility bill, which includes electricity, water, sewer service and garbage collection, is $341.46, according to the analytics website Utility-Rates.
The lowest average utility bill was recorded in the city of Niagara Falls near Niagara Falls – there it is $245.84. The cost is highest in New York City itself, where residents pay an average of $447.12 per month.
