The plunging mercury in upstate New York this winter has brought questions about rising National Grid bills.
In August, the Public Service Commission approved a three-year rate plan request submitted by National Grid.
According to a press release from the utility the same month, electricity customers using an average of 625 kilowatt-hours per month would see an estimated total monthly bill increase of more than $25 over three years.
Gas customers using an average of 78 therms per month would see an increase of just under $25 dollars in that same time frame.
But Bloomingdale resident Melissa Mitchell does not understand why her electric bill is so high.
“You know, I pay my bills and I understand that they are supplying us with something, but it’s just a little extreme. I’ve never seen a company do that before,” Mitchell said.
In December 2024, Mitchell’s National Grid bill shows she was charged $146 for 1,041 kWh over 31 days.
In December 2025, Mitchell was charged $217 for 1,274 kWh over 33 days.
But Mitchell contends that her electricity usage should be less than last year’s.
“I use less than I did before, so it doesn’t make any sense to me at all, at all, why this bill would be so high now,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell’s 400-square-foot apartment, where she has lived for about two years, has electric heating.
After opening her December bill, Mitchell became more vigilant about her electricity usage – she says she unplugs appliances and keeps her thermostat at 50 degrees.
The 57-year-old is one of many New Yorkers who reached out to 111th District Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara about the increases in her National Grid bill.
Santabarbara, a Democrat, says he is calling on the state comptroller to investigate.
“The purpose of the investigation is to determine why they are allowing costs to rise so sharply and to be passed on to families in our state without the transparency, accountability, or discipline,” Santabarbara said.
He says the bill increases are “raising serious red flags” about how costs are being calculated, how they are being allocated and how they are being passed on to rate payers.
Santabarbara says people deserve to know why their bills keep rising.
“Families are being asked to absorb higher and higher costs simply to heat their homes and look the cold, we can’t turn it off, we live in upstate, its going to get cold, we got to turn on the heat, but what we can do is look into these practices and I’m asking the comptroller to provide the public with clear credible answers,” Santabarbara said.
A spokesperson from the comptroller’s office said Santabarbara’s request is still under review.
Meantime, in conjunction with her 2026 State of the State address this week, Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed a plan to hold energy companies accountable and install safeguards for ratepayers.
“We’re taking action now, streamlining utility assistance, helping homeowners make energy efficient upgrades and protecting New Yorkers who are being blindsided by exorbitant rate hikes, we can make energy more affordable and reliable while still leading the nation in sustainable investments, leaving this state stronger,” Hochul said.
Santabarbara, in a statement Wednesday, said he was encouraged to see Hochul’s acknowledgment of affordable energy but said efficiency upgrades and assistance programs are not enough.
He says reforms are needed to rein in the charges rate payers are incurring.
