Online Payments can take up to 3 business days to post. You will receive an emailed receipt for successful payments. Additionally you can check your bank account to see if the transaction is pending or you may contact the Village Office.
In 2015, New York State passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation. To help meet these goals, the New York State Public Service Commission created the Clean Energy Standard (CES), which includes two programs: Zero Emission Credits (ZECs) and Renewable Energy Credits (RECs).
Zero Emission Credits (ZECs) are designed to support nuclear power plants in New York, like Nine Mile Point and Fitzpatrick. These plants are necessary to meet the state's clean energy goals. If the market price of electricity is too low to cover the costs of these plants, New York utilities (and their customers) must buy ZECs to make up the difference. For example, if $100 million is needed to support nuclear plants in a year, and your utility represents 2% of the state’s energy use, you will pay 2% of that amount, or $2 million. For 2025, the cost of ZECs is 0.273 cents ($0.00273) per kilowatt hour (kWh)
Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) aim to encourage the development of new renewable energy projects, like solar and wind. Developers of these projects submit a “bid price” for the amount of subsidy they need to make their projects financially viable. Once the project is up and running, they receive subsidy payments based on the electricity they generate. For 2025, the cost of RECs is 0.15381 cents ($0.0015381) per kWh.
These State imposed costs are passed on to our electric customers and are calculated into the PPA each month. Together, the ZEC and REC charges for 2025 amount to 0.42681 cents ($0.0042681) per kWh. So, if you use 1,000 kWh in a month, you will pay $4.27 for these charges.
You can pay online with credit card, debit card or e-check.**
You can pay with mobile app (you will need to use the same login credentials as the online accounts portal)**
You can pay your utility bill with a credit/debit card over the phone by calling 1-888-601-3010**
You can mail in your check, certified check or money order to 3 Broad Street, P.O. Box 119, Hamilton, NY 13346. Please do not mail in cash! Additionally you can make in-person payments at 3 Broad Street. Please reference your utility account number(s) on your check.
**FEES:
Please note all Credit/Debit Card Payments are subject to a 3% service charge (Card Merchant fee) and $2.00 processing fee.
E-Check Online Payments are subject to $1.25 processing fee only.
These fees are charged by credit card merchants and our online portal provider. The fees will appear separately on your payment method statement.
Yes, these are the following methods to pay that do not incur a fee:
- Check, cashier's check or money order via mail or in person payment at the Village Office on 3 Broad Street (after hours drop box is in the large wooden door facing the Village Green)
- Cash payment at the Village Office
-Bill pay options via your bank (if your bank offers this service- please contact them directly)
If you are putting utilities into your name from an already established service please see the FAQ "How do I create a new utility account?"
For a new service request for Electric, Natural Gas and/or Water/Sewer, you will need to complete a service application. Each service application requests specific service characteristic requests. All applications will require a site visit by Village of Hamilton Personnel prior to any project approvals. Additionally you may be required to complete Codes permit applications dependent on the project.
Please call the Village Office at 315-824-1111 or visit the Village Office at 3 Broad Street. You will need to complete a utility account application and show your government-issued ID. If you are renting, you will need to provide a utility deposit via check, money order or cash (we cannot accept credit/debit card payments for deposits). Please contact the Village Office to find out the amount for your utility deposit- you will need to provide your service address.
That is completly up to you! the default method is through mail, however you can sign up for paperless billing. With paperless, you will received a copy of your bill emailed through your preferred email. To sign up for email, click here!
If the outage is due to an accident, fire, or downed wires, call 911.
Otherwise call 315-824-1111 (business hours) or (315) 824-2120 (after hours), leave your name, phone#, address, and time when an outage occurred. If you notice neighboring houses with lights on and your power has not been restored, call again. Fortunately, Village Electric customers experience very few outages. They are usually localized and short in nature. A well-maintained system and robust tree trimming keep these interruptions to a minimum.
With the cold weather and higher utility bills, the Village has received numerous calls concerning the increase in the PPA. To help our customers understand their utility bills, the New York Municipal Power Agency (NYMPA) has prepared a brief explanation of the costs included in the PPA.
Ø What is the PPA? - The PPA is the portion of your bill that covers the difference between Hamilton’s approved base cost of providing power and the actual cost of providing electricity to customers.
Ø What charges are included in the PPA? The PPA includes the wholesale cost of purchasing electricity from generators, transmitting it to Hamilton, funding for energy efficiency programs and State surcharges such as RECs (Renewable Energy Credits) and ZECs (Zero Emission Credits). Hamilton calculates and files the PPA rate monthly and files it with the NYS Public Service Commission.
Ø Why does Hamilton pay for wholesale power and transmission? Hamilton does not generate its own electricity. Hamilton purchases low-cost hydro power from the New York Power Authority (NYPA) and buys supplemental power to satisfy our customer demand that exceeds the NYPA allotment.
Ø Where does supplemental power come from? Supplemental power is purchased through NYMPA from market suppliers at rates that fluctuate depending on time of year and other market conditions.
Ø How does electricity reach Hamilton? Power is transmitted through lines owned by other utilities such as NYPA and NYSEG. Hamilton must pay these utilities for the use of their lines and facilities.
Ø Why does the PPA vary? The PPA rates rise in colder months (November–April) due to higher local and statewide usage and increased market costs for wholesale electricity and transmission.
Ø Does Hamilton profit from the PPA? No, the PPA strictly covers the actual cost of purchased power.
Log in to the Online Services Payment home page.
Click on the "Enroll in auto pay" and then select “Enroll”.
Select a draft date.
Click on “Enter new credit card” or “Enter new eCheck”.
- If selecting eCheck. Select Checking or Savings from the Account type menu.
In the Bank Name field, enter the name of the bank associated with the account.
In the Account Number field, enter the account number for the account. Confirm this number in the
Confirm account number field.
In the Routing Number field, enter the routing number for the account. Confirm this number in the Confirm routing number field.
In the Name on account field, enter the full name of the account holder.
Click "Enroll Now". The e-check has now been successfully enrolled in Auto Pay!
- If selecting Credit card enter the Credit Card Number in the appropriate field.
In the MM and YYYY fields, enter the card's expiration month and year.
In the Cardholder name field, enter the First and Last name on the card.
In the Address field, enter the address the card bills to.
In the Billing ZIP code field, enter the zip code associated with the billing address.
In the Security Code field, enter the 3 or 4 digit security code found on the card.
Click "Enroll Now". The card has now successfully enrolled in Auto Pay!
If you suspect a natural gas leak, get up, get out, and get away! Then call 911 or our emergency number 1-844-824-1100 from a safe location. We will respond quickly to ensure that you and your family are safe.
Do not smoke or operate electrical switches or appliances. These items may produce a spark that might ignite the natural gas and cause an explosion.
Do not assume someone else will report the condition.
Provide the exact location, including cross streets.
You account number can be found on your utility bill or you can call our office. Additionally your account number(s) is/are displayed on your utility billing tab.
Your account number is the entire sequence of numbers including dashes- if you need to abbreviate your account, please remove the dashes. (XX-XXXXXX-XX)
You can notify the village office by submitting a disconnect request or by calling the Village Office at 315-824-1111. Please notify at least 5 business days in advance.