Roger Hannigan Gilson is reporting for the Times Union a series of workshops are planned to help low-income utility customers take advantage of state programs that can lower future bills and erase past balances. The workshops will be held in Kingston, Newburgh and virtually and are focused on Central Hudson Gas and Electric customers. Central Hudson customers have been forced to deal with wildly fluctuating and high utility bills since September 2021. The utility is under investigation by the state Public Service Commission. The workshops will focus on the Energy Affordability Program which subsidizes energy bills for low-income utility customers, and the related Electric and Gas Bill Relief Program, which erases past-due balances that accrued during the pandemic. Representatives at the workshops promise to help eligible customers enroll in both programs. The workshops will be held on Dec. 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the YMCA on Broadway in Kingston; Dec. 8 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Newburgh Free Library, on Grand St. in Newburgh; and, from noon to 1 p.m. on Dec. 9, online. Information on the individual workshops is available at Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County website. Read the full story in the Times Union.