The Lakeville Estates Civic Association has reached out to state officials to advocate for pushing forward a tax rebate to deal with rising bills. 

Earlier this year, a debt-forgiveness program was approved by the New York State Public Service Commission to provide financial relief for past-due utility bills. 

The program was said to assist 478,000 residential customers and 56,000 small businesses while providing $672 million to pay off unaffordable utility bills.

Bill Cutrone, president of the association with over 1,100 members, questioned why the ratepayers are footing the bill for what is the largest utility customer financial assistance program in state history. 

“This would be great news except for the fact that this is being passed on to us, the ratepayers, instead of the shareholders,” Cutrone said in a letter to the association. ”Why are we being punished for paying our bills on time?”

According to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the price of home-heating oil in Nassau and Suffolk counties reached its high this year with a 36.5% increase from the previous year on Jan. 2. Since then the change in increases from the prior year had tapered off sharply to 7.4% as of Feb. 20.

Cutrone urged members to contact state officials to push for a rebate or tax credit for people in at least the 22% tax bracket, if not others.

“How do we continue to live here with such utility and home-heating bills, and don’t forget the taxes,” Cutrone questioned.