Relates to electric service to tenants provided through submeters

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Liz Krueger says this is needed

As electrical submetering has become more commonplace in our state, the legislative framework to regulate this technology has lagged behind. For many New Yorkers, a new submetering system has come into their lives at the same time that electricity costs have increased dramatically due to a nationwide affordability crisis that has hit our state especially hard, with New York residents on average seeing a 58% increase in their electricity bills since 2019.1 As we face this affordability crisis, the last thing New Yorkers need are erroneous additional costs added on to their utility bills each month due to faulty electrical submetering technology. However, because of the limited scope of existing submeter testing laws, many submetered customers have no way of discovering if their additional electric costs are being correctly measured or not. For submetered customers, disentan- gling which costs may be coming from a faulty submeter and which are due to a general rise in utility costs requires a legislative framework that mandates stricter testing and bill investigations, and this law seeks to create that. When submetering customers suspect they are being overcharged, often their complaints are not treated with the proper level of urgency by their property owner and/or submetering company (submeterer). Since the responsibility to conduct a test of the customer's submeter lies with the owner or submeterer, customers frequently report the tests that end up being performed as lackluster. A common story is that this test is something as inconclusive as plugging a hairdryer into an outlet and measuring that there is indeed electricity being registered by the customer's submeter. However, in situations where an individual dwelling's submeter is erro- neously recording electricity usage from outside of the dwelling, such as a common area or a neighboring unit, this hair dryer test is insuffi- cient. In these so-called "shared meter conditions," a more comprehen- sive test, where all electric appliances in the apartment are paused for long enough to determine if there is an electricity source outside of the dwelling being registered to the submeter, is required. By directly stipulating that submetering tests requested by a customer must include an examination of electricity used not only within the dwelling, but also "in areas outside the dwelling," this act will result in more comprehensive test results for submetering customers who suspect a shared meter condition. This act also sets a requirement that a submetered customer who requests an investigation receive a written determination of the findings of the investigation. The notice will also provide instructions on how to appeal the determination with the PSC if they feel the need to do so. This aspect of this act will help to close the information gap between submetered customers and owners/submeterers. Frequently, submetered customers who have requested tests report never having received any determination. The ones that do receive a summary of the investigation simply report learning that the test was performed and that their subme- ter is in working order no further details. There is a clear need for more detailed explanations from submeter tests, and this act will ensure that those are provided. Lastly, by enacting requirements for specific, common-sense accounting investigations for customers who suspect a high bill, this act would better ensure bills that have reached levels that are obviously unrea- sonable and unexplainable are identified as part of a high bill investi- gation and adequately reported to them.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.