System Upgrades and Changes to Your Account
On Sept. 1, 2021, Central Hudson replaced our 40-year-old customer information system. The major undertaking was needed in order to create a modernized service platform that will better accommodate our customers and a transitioning energy grid. These upgrades resulted in some important, permanent changes to your account that you should read about below.
Note to Customers Impacted by Billing Issues
We apologize to customers who have not been billed timely in recent months or have encountered other billing issues. Community Distributed Generation customers were especially impacted and we issued this apology letter to CDG customers. We apologize for the frustration and inconvenience these issues have caused. Substantial improvements have been made since this transition was initiated and we are working to resolve all remaining issues and restore our standard of excellent customer service to you.
UPDATE Jan. 5, 2023: For customers who had been enrolled with Columbia Utilities Power, LLC (this communication was issued in August) or with Icon Energy, LLC (this communication was issued in July) for energy supply, billing from Central Hudson has been restored.
Columbia customers include those who reside in 10 towns and villages who elected to go with Columbia for their energy supply. Columbia formerly supplied energy to the following municipalities: cities of Beacon and Poughkeepsie; the towns of Saugerties, Clinton, Marbletown, Philipstown, New Paltz, and Red Hook; and the villages of Cold Spring and New Paltz.
For former Columbia customers: Customers received a bill through July 18, the last day of service with Columbia as the electric supplier. Accounts were then billed to-date, with electric supply from Central Hudson:
- Budget Billing and Demand Metered customers received multiple bills (for most customers, it will be 3 bills), issued at the same time, for each billing cycle not previously billed. Please refer to the “current billing period” date on the first page of the bill to determine the period for which the bill is issued.
- All other customers received 1 bill (multiple billing periods combined into a single invoice), from July 19 through the current meter reading.
For former Icon customers: Customers received a bill through June 14, the last day of service with Icon as the electric supplier. Accounts were then billed to-date, with electric supply from Central Hudson:
- Budget Billing and Demand Metered customers received multiple bills, issued at the same time, for each billing cycle not previously billed. Please refer to the “current billing period” date on the first page of the bill to determine the period for which the bill is issued.
- All other customers received 1 bill (multiple billing periods combined into a single invoice), from June 15 through the current meter reading.
We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused. Central Hudson offers no-cost payment plans if you are unable to pay the new bill(s) in full. Payment plans allow customers to pay off their balance in monthly installments. Click here to enroll.
Note about Supply Price Impacts
In early 2022, energy supply market prices increased well above average levels and impacted customer bill amounts. This issue is completely unrelated to Central Hudson's billing system transition. The supply pricing volatility is covered in detail on this page of our website.
What's Changed
These are some of the permanent changes that went into effect on Sept. 1, 2021.
New Account Number
You now have a new 11-digit account number.
This number can be found:
- At the top of each page of each Central Hudson bill (see Example A below) generated after Sept. 1, 2021.
- At the top of your Account Summary page (requires login).
- Or, through this New Account Number Lookup page (requires you to enter your old account number).
- Next steps: Once you receive this new number, use it whenever it is required to do business with Central Hudson – and discontinue using the account number you had prior to receiving this new number.
- Bill payment impacts: If you pay your Central Hudson bill through your financial institution, enter your new account number on your bank’s bill payment platform. If you have automatic payments set up through your financial institution, you may need to update the account number on the login page. If you pay by card over the phone, you will need to enter this new account number.
Customer Number
A new feature, your Customer Number will be found at the top of the first page of your Central Hudson bill, below the account number (see Example B above). If you have an online account or use our mobile app, you’ll find the number at the top of your profile page.
- Next steps: No action required. If you move to a new location within Central Hudson’s service territory, this number – and all your account preferences – will remain with you, providing a smoother experience. If you have multiple accounts with Central Hudson, you will be able to view all your accounts online at once using this number.
Bill payment impacts: None
POD ID Number
A new feature, you will find this number at the top of each service listed in the "billing detail" section of your Central Hudson bill (see Example C below). If you have an online account or use our mobile app, you’ll find the POD ID number(s) in the account details section. You will have one POD ID number for each service type (electric and/or gas) you have with Central Hudson.
- Next steps: No action required unless you choose to enroll with an energy service company (ESCO) for your energy supply. This number is needed for new enrollments with an ESCO.
- Bill payment impacts: None
FAQs
Why have call wait times to speak with customer service been longer than usual?
You may have experienced longer than usual call wait times to speak with us recently due to increased call volume related to recent high energy supply prices, which are unrelated to our billing system transition, as well as billing system transition issues. You can find account information and conduct most transactions here on our website. For non-emergency matters that require assistance, please submit your inquiry through this form.
My account was on a payment plan. How am I affected?
If your account was on an installment payment plan, your payment plan due dates changed. The due dates on your payment plan now align with the bill due dates on your Central Hudson bill. This information will be included in the bill summary on the first page of your bill. Please pay the payment installment amount in accordance with the due date on your bill.