Make New York Post a Preferred Source Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks during a press conference on September 21, 2026 in New York City. Getty Images If high summer energy bills felt painful, brace yourself: Electric rates are set to keep climbing, and home-heating oil prices will surge by 70% this winter.
During July, average residential electricity prices in New York climbed $270, or 14% compared to July 2025 — nearly triple the national year-over-year rise of 4.9% — and worse is likely coming.
Meanwhile, the state Energy Research and Development Authority reports that heating-oil costs are set to surge nearly 70%, from $3.72 to $6.27 per gallon.
These dramatic spikes make a mockery of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s $200 “energy rebate” checks.
Designed to obscure how her climate agenda is driving double-digit utility hikes, Hochul’s $1 billion so-called “Protecting Our Wallets” scheme does no such thing: “The state is merely taking $200 from people who pay taxes and giving it to people who pay electricity bills — largely the same people,” grumbled the Empire Center’s Zilvinas Silenas.
Again: Until recently, she’s only doubled down on the insane Cuomo policies of closing fossil-fuel and nuclear plants and blocking pipelines to curry favor with green extremists — while burning billions on alternative-energy schemes that are nowhere close to providing enough reliable power.
This has created a growing energy-affordability crisis that she (of course) refuses to own.
Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman has pledged to dismantle this mad climate agenda, open New York to fracking and approve new zero-emissions nuclear power plants.
If you need more reason to deny the gov your vote, just open your utility bills.
