ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A rally against RG&E took place at Rochester City Hall, with Metro Justice urging local government leaders to take action as thousands of residents faced power shut-offs.

Metro Justice claims that from 2023 to 2024, RG&E shut-offs tripled to over 13,000, while profits increased by more than $13 million.

Simultaneously, RG&E held a community event to assist customers with their accounts.

“The goal is to help you keep your lights on and your gas flowing,” RG&E representatives stated.

Metro Justice described the situation as a “shut-off crisis,” with spokespersons emphasizing the alarming numbers.

Justine Harris, an RG&E customer, shared her story at the rally. She recounted how RG&E shut off her power for three months due to a $6,000 bill from a previous apartment.

“We were at a hotel, no Thanksgiving, no Christmas—all my money went towards the hotel expenses,” she said.

Dr. Michi Wenderlich from Metro Justice highlighted that Justine’s story is just one of many.

“Rochester has the third highest energy burden in the country, and we cannot afford RG&E any longer,” she said.

Metro Justice is pushing for a public utility study to explore more affordable options.

In response, RG&E explained the increase in shut-offs.

“Yes, we had more terminations than in the past two years… a big part of that is because we had COVID,” a spokesperson said.

They noted that 57% of customers are currently delinquent.

RG&E encouraged customers to reach out for assistance.

“Please give us a call. We have reps waiting; you can go online if you choose; we have a mobile app that you can leverage,” they advised.

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