Our Commitment to Customers

We are grateful for the trust Long Islanders and the people of the Rockaways place in us every day, and we will continue to honor that trust through our commitment to safely deliver reliable and affordable energy. We do not take it for granted.

New York State law provides important protections for seniors, those with medical conditions, and customers on public assistance – and those protections exist for good reason. We are committed to honoring them, fully and without exception. 

Recent articles and statements referenced comments that showed disregard for the challenges that many of our customers face. It is unacceptable. The statements are not representative of the values or practices of PSEG Long Island. Nonetheless, we take accountability at all times and have addressed this issue with urgency.  

We have high expectations of ourselves and our team members. Our collections practices comply with New York State requirements. We will continue to reinforce the importance of a culture of customer empathy through our communications, training and management to ensure that our customer interactions and engagements meet those high expectations. 

We are acutely aware of the customer affordability challenges across New York State, especially on Long Island and in the Rockaways. PSEG Long Island committed to keep our 2026 costs flat to 2025 levels, outside of the power supply charge which is a direct pass through of actual costs to generate energy for Long Island and the Rockaways.

Our team has deep respect for our customers, simply put, we are here to serve them.

Pause in Collections Shut Offs

PSEG Long Island has suspended all residential shut offs for non-payment to complete an internal review and reaffirm our confidence in our collections processes and culture.
Additional Action Items Taken

Action Items

  • Immediate Investigation & Subsequent Action: We immediately investigated the statement and have taken prompt action.
  • Internal Communications and All Employee Meeting: Communications focusing on customer affordability and conducting customer interactions with empathy and dignity have been sent to all of our employees, including a company-wide stand-down discussion and a meeting with our customer-facing teams.
  • External Events Review: Attendance and presentations at any conference or public events will be reviewed to ensure appropriate representation and messaging from PSEG Long Island. In addition, PSEG Long Island has ensured that ratepayer funds were not used to fund employee attendance at the conference referenced in the media articles.
  • Training: We will be rolling out expanded training on customer empathy with a focus on affordability in the coming weeks. These trainings will be delivered company-wide with additional tailored trainings provided to our customer-facing teams.

Collections Process

PSEG Long Island strives to protect all of our customers, including the most vulnerable. Shutoff of power is a last resort that comes after many months of attempts to contact a customer, by phone, email and in person, to discuss a solution tailored to meet their needs. PSEG Long Island has always followed New York State Law that requires utilities and electric service providers to suspend shutoffs during extreme heat and cold, and the company has voluntarily participated in collections moratoriums related to the pandemic, government shutdowns and other events.

PSEG Long Island’s collections practices are aligned with applicable requirements in its Tariff, the Commission’s regulations, and with practices used by utilities across New York State.

PSEG Long Island has no direct economic interest in the collections process. If less money is collected from those who are delinquent, the overall customer base rate must be changed to accommodate. Our interests are in a fair process to keep costs down for our overall customer base and support those customers who have challenges.   

Couple holding hands

Help For Customers

For those who have financial challenges, outstanding assistance programs are available, including one federally funded program and many offered directly by PSEG Long Island: 

  • Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)
    HEAP is a federally funded program that assists qualifying New Yorkers with the cost of heating their homes. 
  • Household Assistance Program
    PSEG Long Island’s Household Assistance Program provides a monthly bill discount to income-eligible individuals.
  • Senior Connections
    PSEG Long Island’s Senior Connections program helps local seniors navigate a range of important topics such as storm prep, scam prevention, electric safety, energy efficiency and financial assistance.
  • Customer Advocacy Team
    PSEG Long Island also has a dedicated customer advocacy team to help provide customers with assistance with their utility bills; manage energy expenses and guide customers through the various assistance programs we offer. 
  • Balanced Billing
    PSEG Long Island Balanced Billing allows customers to better plan their finances by establishing an electric bill that is the same each month. 
  • Deferred Payment Arrangements
    PSEG Long Island will work with customers who have fallen behind on paying their bills to develop a payment plan to get caught up on paying their bill.   
  • Energy Efficiency Programs
    PSEG Long Island offers a wide variety of energy efficiency programs to help customers better manage their energy costs.  This includes programs that are specifically targeted to low-moderate income households, with enhanced rebates and services for these customers.
  • Demand Response and Time of Day Rates
    Are additional tools that PSEG Long Island offers customers to save money on their electric bill.