Unfortunately, we’re all paying more to heat and power our homes this winter.

The brutal cold weather we’re experiencing has been coupled with the sticker shock of soaring electric bills.

New York has some of the highest energy costs in the country.

In the past month, we’ve all been startled to see our electric bills double even triple. It’s outrageous!

New Yorkers now pay the 8th highest electricity bills in the nation and according to the Empire Center, residential electric rates are 50 percent higher than the national average and nearly 8 percent higher than a year ago.

These surging energy bills are due in large part to a myriad of what I’ve railed and voted against — onerous and misguided state taxes, fees and new mandates from my colleagues on the other side of the aisle that have been passed down to consumers.

The New York State Public Service Commission (PSC), who are appointed by the Governor and rubber-stamped by my colleagues in the Senate Majority, approve of the electric company rate hikes without direct input and oversight from the........

© The Saratogian