NYC households confront steep electricity costs as heat wave bites city, poll finds

New York City residents report rising electricity bills during a historic heat wave: 47% can run air conditioning comfortably, 44% have AC but limit use to keep costs down, and 9% have no AC or won’t say. The issue is tied to state levies on utilities, with Gov. Hochul proposing up to $200 energy rebates for more than 8 million New Yorkers as part of the budget. The poll of 614 voters conducted June 12–17 has a margin of error of ±3.96 percentage points, highlighting a cost-and-health tradeoff in this election year.