(WENY) -- New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) customers have reported sharp increases in their utility bills, with many pointing to installing smart meters as a potential culprit. Social media posts, have been filled with customers sharing skyrocketed bills, most claiming there is no clear explanation for why.

Some customers claim their bills have doubled or tripled since the new meters were installed. However, NYSEG maintains that the smart meters themselves are accurate and reliable.

"Smart meters are not the reason for any high bill you may be experiencing," says Shelby Cohen, a spokesperson for NYSEG. "Smart meters do the exact same thing that legacy meters or traditional meters do. They just read themselves, so they are incredibly accurate. We test every batch that comes in."

Cohen says NYSEG has reported less than one percent in errors on bills across the state month to month. 

Additionally, the company points to several factors that could be contributing to the bills' increase, including a rate hike that took effect in May 2024 after being approved by New York State.

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Cohen said that during the pandemic, the company implemented only a minimal rate increase because it recognized the hardship many customers faced. She added the aging infrastructure made the rate hikes grow from November 2023 to May 2024, and the upcoming May 2025 steeper to meet the state's clean energy goals.

Despite these explanations, many customers remain skeptical and question whether smart meters are still contributing to risking bills, in addition to the rate hikes. Customers say they are not getting answers as to spikes in usage and billing. NYSEG says some critics are relying on misinformation being spread online. 

NYSEG told WENY News another session on how to manage your bill and potentially lower costs will be coming to Elmira, that date has not been released yet.

In the meantime, NYSEG offers an online resource to help customers better understand bills, which can be found here.