Energy Affordability Program

In 2016, the PSC adopted the statewide NYS Energy Affordability Program, which provides income-eligible consumers with a discount on their monthly electric and/or gas bills. The program is administered by New York’s electric and natural gas utilities. The PSC monitors and evaluates the utility affordability bill discounts programs and approves measures as needed to strengthen and improve the EAP.

You may be enrolled automatically if you receive benefits from a government assistance program. For more information visit your utility website.

The EAP seeks to provide financial relief to an estimated 2.7 million New York households with income levels at the Federal Poverty Level. The program is meant to provide financial relief for low-income consumers by making their electric and/or natural gas utility bills more affordable through monthly bill discounts.   

Energy costs for low-income customers historically have been between 10-20 percent of their income, or sometimes higher.

The EAP set an energy burden target level at or below 6% of household income for all New York State utility low-income customers.

The PSC approved the following measures to fulfill a program goal of reaching all eligible low-income households: 

• Established new requirements for utilities to identify and enroll all the income eligible households.
• Mandated that energy utilities automatically enroll EAP participants in budget billing. Customers may opt-out of the budget billing program at any time by contacting the utility.
• Updated and standardized the EAP discount amounts to provide more appropriate discount levels.

Click on your utility company listed below for more information regarding the program.