“The text message National Grid sent to customers today warning about high energy bills is disingenuous and insulting – and it underscores exactly why an independent investigation into delivery charges is needed.

The message warns families about rising bills while leaving out the real driver behind those increases: delivery charges that continue to rise even when people use less energy – while National Grid’s profits continue to soar. Make no mistake, this is by design. Customers can turn down the thermostat, invest in efficiency, and conserve – and still see higher bills because delivery fees are entirely outside their control.

That text shifts responsibility onto customers while allowing the utility to avoid accountability. It suggests households are to blame for higher costs, when many families are already doing everything they can to manage their energy use.

National Grid operates as a regulated monopoly. Families cannot shop around or choose another provider. When delivery charges increase even as usage declines – and profits remain strong – it raises serious questions about how those costs are calculated, how profits are protected, and who is ultimately expected to absorb the financial hit.

That is why I am renewing my call for an independent investigation into National Grid’s delivery charges, cost-recovery practices, and profits. New Yorkers deserve transparency and honest communication – not misleading messages that minimize the real problem while families struggle to afford basic necessities like heat.”