By J.N. Cheney
In an age where things seem to get more expensive with each passing day thanks to, let’s face it, corporate greed and related things such as price gouging disguised as inflation, it’s important to recognize that this isn’t exactly a new phenomenon.
Back in the 1980s, West Winfield and the surrounding area faced a similar situation with the New York State Electric & Gas Company (NYSEG).
Just as we’ve seen internet and grocery bills go up on and off throughout the years, NYSEG customers in this area were presented with a potential increase in their electric and heating bills.
In mid-late February of 1982, NYSEG announced that they’d be proposing an increase in their electric and gas rates by up to 22% starting in January of 1983 to the State Public Service Commission.
The explanation given by the company went as follows: it was done to cope with inflation and to keep the cash flow coming in as optimally as possible, which effectively said the quiet part out loud.
As laid out in the newspaper that revealed the proposed increase, the potential prices that were sought to be thrust upon the people of West Winfield, Brookfield, and elsewhere were listed in the same article.
Five hundred kilowatt hours would cost an extra $9.39 a month, translating to a 23.2% increase that would’ve pushed electric bills up to almost $50.
Accounting for inflation, $50 equates to nearly $160 in 2024, according to one online inflation calculator.
Winter prices would have been even more exorbitant. Residential electric bills would jump from $173.15 to $212.10, a 22.5% increase translating to a nearly $40 increase.
Again accounting for inflation, that equals a bill reaching between $550-$670 today.
Those who heated their homes with oil would see a similar increase.
Monthly payments would rise to $221, $700 in the modern day.
In March 1982, NYSEG said that this rate increase would be used to help fund the company’s construction efforts.
Many reacted with outrage upon seeing the cost of one of their necessary expenses jump.
Meetings were almost immediately organized to fight against these price hikes. One meeting at the Peter Pan Diner was set for March 2, organized by the late Rita and Richard Fabozzi.
A tactic of protest utilized for this meeting was that those contacted to take part in the meeting brought copies of their electric bills for the prior three
billing periods to highlight exactly how ludicrous this price increase would be.
Future meetings were to be organized and, according to Mr. Fabozzi, the possibility of pushing for changing the laws through which the Public Service Commission allowed such increases.
These efforts culminated in the formation of the Group of Concerned Citizens over Utility Rate Increases (GCCURI). This new group formed four committees to aid in the fight against the proposed rate increase.
Thankfully for everybody in this fight, as implied by having to work with the PSC, ...
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