A retiree in Oxford, New York, said he found a major mistake on his October New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) statement when a charge normally near $200 appeared as a five-figure sum.
For households already bracing for higher utility costs, the billing shock comes as the utility continues to pursue much larger rate increases.
Here's what to know
According to The Evening Sun, Terri Fox of Oxford, a former New York State Civil Service employee, said his usual NYSEG charge of about $200 was replaced on the October bill by roughly $10,000. Because the account is on automatic payment, it felt especially urgent.
"I have autopay and thank goodness I checked my billing statement for this month," he recalled to the paper.
After he contacted NYSEG, Fox said customer service asked him to email the company a photo of his meter so they could review the account. For autopay customers, that means billing mistakes may need to be caught and documented before the withdrawal goes through.
The complaints in Oxford were not limited to one account. The Evening Sun reported that Oxford resident Theresa Spencer said her bill rose from her normal $200 to $750, even though she pays manually and had opted out of the company's smart reader program.
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In spring 2026, the publication noted that the New York State Public Service Commission approved a temporary NYSEG rate change that raised residential electric bills by 0.2%.
More background
Beyond that temporary adjustment, NYSEG is pursuing a much steeper 35% increase, or about $464.4 million. According to The Evening Sun, it also wants a 10% return on equity for that rate year. If approved, the requested return on equity would add $32 million in electric revenue.
A sudden four-figure or five-figure utility bill can upend rent, groceries, and other essentials even if the charge is later corrected, and autopay can make that risk more immediate. Bills that arrive far above normal levels during an active push for higher rates can further erode customer confidence in the billing system.
Autopay is meant as a convenience for both the customer and the utility, and it definitely should not be on customers to catch obvious mistakes on the back end.
What can be done?
After learning about the Oxford cases, Avangrid, which owns NYSEG, said it reached out to the customers involved.
"We are working directly with them to review their account and gather additional information," Andrew Rush, an Avangrid representative, told The Evening Sun.
Rush added that NYSEG personnel regularly speak with residents at community events and company-run gatherings, where they answer billing questions and point customers to assistance programs, payment arrangements, and energy-saving options.
NYSEG says customers can call 800-572-1111 or visit www.NYSEG.com/HelpWithBill to discuss billing concerns and available programs.
Customers who use automatic withdrawal can review the monthly statement before payment is processed to catch errors while rate cases and billing complaints are still ongoing.
"Hopefully this will get resolved promptly," Fox relayed to The Evening Sun. "If you haven't checked your billing statement for this month, you may want to."
Where can I learn more?
This kind of billing shock comes amid broader concerns about rising power costs and how utilities spend customer money.
• Major utilities have used customer-funded profits and spending in ways critics say burden ratepayers.
• Utilities are drawing scrutiny for spending bill revenue on transmission projects customers may not notice.
• PacifiCorp asked regulators to approve billing customers for wildfire damages after $1.7 billion in losses.
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