Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) announced a rollout of energy rebate checks worth up to $200 for New York residents on Monday.
The checks will be distributed to roughly 8.2 million households in the state, starting Sept. 21 and ending in December. This means New York-based families will be partially repaid at a time of surging gas prices and electric bills.
Hochul unveiled the move as part of her administration’s focus on affordability for New Yorkers.
“As Washington Republicans continue to send the cost of everything from utility bills to gas and groceries soaring, I’ll never stop working to address the rising cost of living for New Yorkers,” the governor said in a statement.
“Too many families are struggling with rising household energy bills and soaring gas prices at the pump — and that’s why we’re putting money directly back in New Yorkers’ pockets by sending energy rebate checks to millions of families as part of our affordability agenda,” she added.
The state-issued checks are part of the $1 billion Protecting Our Wallets Energy Rebate provision under the state’s latest budget.
The amount for each POWER check depends on the income a household earns. For joint filers with incomes under $150,000, the checks will be worth $200. The amount decreases to $150 for joint filers with incomes between $150,000 and $300,000 and drops to $100 for single filers with incomes under $150,000. The rebates will be issued as advance credit checks, according to Hochul’s office.
New Yorkers are eligible for the rebate checks if they filed a timely income tax return for tax year 2024, lived in the state at the time, reported their income within the qualifying thresholds, and were not claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer’s return.
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The governor’s office emphasized there is no need to apply or sign up to receive one of the rebate checks.
Hochul blamed the U.S. war in Iran for the record rise in gas prices this year. AAA says the national average gas price is $4.32, up from $3.18 at this time last year. Diesel is also significantly higher, rising from $3.69 to $6.23 in the span of one year.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
