Can I opt out of monthly billing?

Central Hudson has changed to monthly billing in cooperation with state regulators, bringing our billing in line with all other New York state energy companies, which already follow a monthly schedule. Because  of this change, customers may not opt out of monthly billing.

How often will my meter be read?

Meters will continue to be read every other month. In the months between your actual meter readings, you will receive an estimated bill based on past usage, weather conditions and many other factors. With the next actual meter reading, your billed amount will be adjusted, to reflect actual recent usage. 

For more information on estimated vs. actual bills, see sidebar.

Why is the basic service charge on my estimated bill if you are not reading my meter every month?

This fixed charge is a component of our approved delivery rates, and reflects the cost to maintain and operate the infrastructure needed to deliver energy to you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  The basic service charge appearing on each monthly bill will reflect one month of service, and therefore will be half of the amount that was charged for two months of service on bi-monthly bills. 

Can I pay my monthly Central Hudson bill every other month?

Monthly billing customers are required to pay their Central Hudson bill in full every month on the due date indicated on the bill. Customers who elect to skip a payment will incur late fees. If you need assistance paying your energy bill, visit www.CentralHudson.com/paymentassistance or speak with a Customer Service Representative by calling (845) 452-2700. 

Additional Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why has Central Hudson switched to monthly billing?
A: Virtually all your other household services are now billed monthly, to help you manage your month-to-month finances and budget more efficiently. The change to now include your Central Hudson bill on a monthly schedule is being made in cooperation with New York state utility regulators.

Q: What are the benefits of monthly billing?
A: Virtually all your other household services are now billed monthly, to help you manage your month-to-month finances and budget more efficiently. The change to now include your Central Hudson bill on a monthly schedule is being made in cooperation with New York state utility regulators.

Q: Will all Central Hudson customers be affected by the switch to monthly billing?
A: Non-residential and Budget Billing customers who are already billed monthly are not affected. Also, customers enrolled in our net metering program are not affected by the switch to monthly billing.

Q: How can I pay my monthly bill?
A: You may continue to pay your Central Hudson bill as you do now, or with any of the convenient payment options available:

• Set up automatic payments        
• Pay on our website
• Pay by text message
• Pay in person (locations)
• Pay by mail: Central Hudson Gas & Electric, 284 South Avenue
  Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
• For more information about billing and payment options, click here.

Q: I am having financial trouble and can’t pay my bill. What can I do?
A: We understand that keeping your account current may sometimes require a little extra time or financial assistance.  If you need help, review our Payment Assistance Programs page to identify the program(s) that may be available to assist you. 

Q: I am enrolled in Budget Billing. How will the switch to monthly billing affect me?
A: Budget Billing customers will still receive a bill each month, and will see a multi-page bill during interim months that will detail estimated energy usage for that month.

Budget Billing helps customers avoid the seasonal unpredictability of energy bills by spreading bill payments evenly over a 12-month cycle (budget payments are uniform for 11 months; the bill for the 12th month includes a plus-or-minus adjustment to reflect actual usage and price). To sign up for Budget Billing, click here.

Q. I want to cut down on the additional paper clutter. What are my options?
A: Go paperless by signing up for eBills. With eBills, you can receive, view and pay your energy bill online. Central Hudson will send you an email when your bill is ready for your review. No more paper bills, envelopes or postage stamps. Enroll here.

Q. I am enrolled in automatic payments – how will the switch to monthly billing affect me?
A: If you are enrolled in one of our automatic payment options, such as direct pay, you will now have your account debited monthly on the date selected. 

Information about estimated vs. actual bills

With monthly billing, Central Hudson customers will continue to have their meters read every other month. In the months between actual meter readings, Central Hudson will send an estimated bill.

Estimated bills will be based on your energy usage from the comparable time period in the previous year. If previous year usage is unavailable, estimated usage will be based on more recent usage, either four or two months, whichever is greater. When no previous usage information is available (for example, new service is established at a newly constructed home), a standard daily usage amount based on your rate classification will be used.

There are several factors that may impact your estimated bills, including:

• You used more or less energy last year than you did this year.
  For information about your usage history, log in to your online “My Account”; if you haven’t created an online account, visit www.CentralHudson.com and select “new user registration” at the top of the page.
• The weather is colder or warmer than it was last year.
• Lifestyle changes have occurred at your home.
  For example: more (or fewer) family members are now residing at your home and are using more (or less) energy; or, you have recently added devices at your residence (such as a new big screen TV, a new air conditioner, a swimming pool, etc.) that use additional energy.
• You have changed energy use patterns.
  For example: you recently changed jobs, which now requires you to be home more often; or, you may have replaced a less efficient appliance with a more efficient unit.
• Billing cycles that are longer or shorter.

The month following an estimated bill, an actual meter reading will be taken.  The bill issued based on the actual meter reading will be for the difference between the actual two-month usage and the previous estimated usage.  This “true-up” bill will compensate for any variation between the estimate and your actual usage, to ensure the total usage billed over the two months is for energy actually consumed.

How can I determine if my bill is estimated or actual?

On your bill, under the heading "Amount of Electricity (or Gas) Delivered" section, estimate (est.) or actual (act.) will be written after the date of your present reading. Click here to see an example.

Another way to see what months are estimated or actual is to look at the bar graphs on your bill. The gray bars indicate the months that are estimated. You can see the gray bars highlighted in this example.

Your monthly billing options
If you feel your estimated usage is being calculated too high or too low, here are options to consider:

• Enroll in Budget Billing: Budget Billing spreads your energy bills evenly, making payment amounts predictable and uniform for 11 months based on your energy usage history.  The bill for the 12th month includes a plus-or-minus adjustment to reflect actual costs incurred throughout the year.  To enroll in Budget Billing, visit www.CentralHudson.com/BudgetBilling.
• Review our Payment Assistance Programs to identify program(s) that may be available to assist you.  Visit www.CentralHudson.com/paymentassistance or call 845-452-2700.