Central Hudson Gas & Electric

Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation is the regulated investor-owned utility for the Mid-Hudson Valley. It delivers electricity to about 321,000 customers and natural gas to about 85,000 customers across Dutchess, Ulster, Orange, Putnam, Columbia, Greene, Sullivan and southern Albany counties. Central Hudson is a subsidiary of CH Energy Group, which is owned by Fortis Inc., a Canadian utility holding company.

Central Hudson is owned by Fortis Inc., a Canadian utility holding company headquartered in St. John's, Newfoundland, through the intermediate holding entity CH Energy Group. Fortis acquired CH Energy Group in 2013. The acquisition was reviewed and approved by the NY PSC. Central Hudson remains incorporated in New York and is regulated by the NY PSC, so day-to-day operations, rates, and customer protections are governed by New York law.

Central Hudson uses a single 24/7 line at 1-845-452-2700 for both customer service and outage / emergency reporting. You can also report an outage online at cenhud.com or through the Central Hudson SMS alert programme. If a wire is on the ground or anyone is injured, call 911 first, then Central Hudson.

Yes. New York opened retail electricity and gas markets to competition in 1998. You can pick any NY PSC-certified ESCO for the supply portion of your bill. Central Hudson remains the delivery utility and continues to read the meter and respond to outages no matter which supplier you choose. Always compare an ESCO offer to the current Central Hudson default supply price before signing, and read the renewal terms carefully.

Central Hudson sits in NYISO Zone G, which clears between cheap upstate zones and expensive New York City. A typical residential all-in price runs around 25 to 26 cents per kWh, against a New York State average of 28.55 cents per kWh in March 2026 (EIA Electric Power Monthly). That makes the Hudson Valley one of the more affordable regions in the state, though still above the US national average of 17.91 cents per kWh.

In late 2021 Central Hudson cut over to a new SAP-based billing platform. The transition produced widespread issues in 2022 and 2023: missed bills, estimated rather than actual reads, large catch-up bills, double-debits on auto-pay and long call-centre hold times. The NY PSC investigated and Central Hudson agreed to refund credits, fee waivers and enhanced payment plans. If you still believe a bill from this period is inaccurate, request a re-read from Central Hudson; if that fails, file a complaint with the PSC Office of Consumer Services at 1-800-342-3377.

Several programmes stack. Federal HEAP (administered in New York by OTDA) covers a portion of heating costs each season. The NY PSC Energy Affordability Program (EAP) adds a fixed monthly credit for income-eligible customers, often enrolled automatically through HEAP or SNAP. Central Hudson also offers deferred payment agreements that the utility must propose before disconnection. Start at otda.ny.gov/programs/heap or call Central Hudson directly to set up a payment plan.

Yes, and the catalogue is broader than most New York utilities. Central Hudson runs incentive programmes for air-source heat pumps, ground-source heat pumps, heat-pump water heaters, smart thermostats, EV charging equipment and weatherisation. Rebates stack with NYSERDA incentives and federal Inflation Reduction Act tax credits. See the dedicated Central Hudson rebates page for current amounts and eligibility.