Int. No. 1328
By Council Member Louis
A Local Law to amend the New York city charter and the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to expanding the outreach and advocacy duties of the office of the utility advocate
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Section 20-n of the New York city charter, as added by local law number 80 for the year 2022, is amended to read as follows:
a. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
Energy-burdened household. The term “energy-burdened household” means a household paying over 6 percent of its income toward energy bills.
Utility. The term “utility” means a provider of electric, gas, or steam service in the city.
b. The mayor shall establish an office of the utility advocate. Such office may be established within any office of the mayor or as a separate office of any department the head of which is appointed by the mayor. Such office shall be headed by an individual who shall be appointed by the mayor or, if the office is established within an agency other than the office of the mayor, by the head of such agency. Such office, in consultation with any community-based organization, legal service provider, or other organization identified by such office that provides support to utility customers on topics such as utility billing practices, affordability measures, and financial assistance programs, shall have responsibilities that include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. [Establish] Establishing a website, email address, and telephone number to receive communications from utility customers on their utility services;
2. [Advocate] Advocating on behalf of utility customers by providing testimony for public hearings. Such public hearings shall include, but need not be limited to, rate cases conducted by the public service commission;
3. [Conduct] Conducting outreach and [provide] providing educational materials to the public on topics that include, but need not be limited to: choosing, starting, and stopping utility services; methods to lower the cost of their utility bills; [and] utility complaint procedures; [and] utility billing practices; financial assistance programs; and utility customers’ rights. The office shall host at least 4 public trainings per year on such topics. Where feasible, such trainings shall be hosted in 4 of the 10 community districts with the highest proportion of energy-burdened households. Such educational materials shall be available on such office’s website and updated no less than once per year;
4. [Assist consumers] Assisting utility customers with accessing and navigating financial aid available to cover utility costs[.], including but not limited to:
(a) Conducting outreach to utility customers who may be eligible for financial assistance through city, state, or federal programs;
(b) Referring utility customers to the appropriate city, state, or federal agency and, where appropriate, facilitating communication or serving as a liaison between the utility customer and such agency; and
(c) Referring utility customers to community-based organizations, legal service providers, or other organizations that provide support to utility customers on topics such as utility billing practices, affordability measures, and financial assistance programs;
5. Publishing on such office’s website notice of upcoming rate cases conducted by the public service commission which may affect utility rates, instructions for how utility customers may provide public comment on such cases, and a brief statement of the outcome of each such case once it is decided;
6. Creating public awareness campaigns about the rights of utility customers; and
7. Monitoring ongoing policy debates on topics that may affect utility rates, including but not limited to utility competition and electrification, and, where appropriate, issuing policy recommendations on such topics.
c. In performing the duties of the office, the director shall regularly consult with 311; the department of social services; the office of financial empowerment at the department of consumer and worker protection; the mayor's office of long-term planning and sustainability, or its successor office or agency; and any other agency or office the director deems necessary to further the duties of the office.
§ 2. Chapter 3 of title 23 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 23-313 to read as follows:
§ 23-313 Referral to the office of the utility advocate. The 311 customer service center shall allow the public to contact the center to file complaints or requests for service relating to the following topics: choosing, starting, and stopping utility services; methods to lower the cost of their utility bills; utility complaint procedures; utility billing practices; financial assistance programs; and utility customers’ rights. Such center shall accept such complaints or requests for information by phone, online, and in any other manner that such center routinely accepts complaints or requests for service from the public. Such center shall refer such complaints or requests for service to the office of the utility advocate, as established in subdivision b of section 20-n of the charter.
§ 3. This local law takes effect 60 days after it becomes law.
SNT
LS #19204
5/30/2025 1:32 PM