Central Hudson Gas & Electric appointed a new CEO and president on Monday following months of complaints over billing errors and calls for the previous CEO's resignation.

Christopher Capone was appointed by the CenHud board of directors to take over immediately for Charles Freni, according to a press release Monday. The board chair, Margarita Dilley, said in the release that the board felt "the time is right for a change of leadership."

According to a report from the New York State Public Service Commission, thousands of the company's utility customers faced billing errors, including large automatic withdrawals and inflated bills, as the company changed its billing system. The investigation, and Central Hudson’s claim that any issues have since been sorted, prompted Rep. Pat Ryan to call for Freni to resign.

Freni will retire after aiding in the transition to Capone as CEO and president, according to CenHud.

"A key priority will be addressing the frustrations some customers have felt resulting from the implementation of the new customer billing system. We have hired a significant number of additional personnel including contact center employees and other professionals to work on these issues around the clock," Capone said in the press release.

Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger, in a statement, called the move "a welcome first step" in changing the culture that led to the billing errors.

"[M]uch more action is needed to unwind the damage done by the utility to Ulster County residents and small businesses," she added. "Fortis/Central Hudson must take full responsibility for its failures, fix all customer billing errors, end the practice of estimated billing, and return every penny spent on the new customer billing system to ratepayers."