Utility bills for homeowners will be going up by an average of $7.45 cents per month as of Jan. 1, 2018.
The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) Friday released revised generation rates for residential and business customers taking Standard Service generation from Eversource Energy, and the United Illuminating Company (UI).
Eversource’s residential generation rate will change from 8.01 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to 9.08 cents/kWh, a 13.3 percent increase. UI’s residential generation rate will change from 7.6 cents/kWh to 9.66 cents/kWh, a 27 percent increase.
Eversource said the average residential customer using 700 kilowatt hours of electricity each month will see an increase of approximately $7.45 per month on the supply portion of their bill. Each customer’s total bill depends on how much energy they use, their rate category, and weather conditions.
Eversource delivers electricity to 1.2 million customers in 149 cities and towns.
PURA spokesman Michael Coyle said customers might see bills run a bit higher during the colder winter months, but that the costs will balance out over a full year’s period.
Eversource and UI recently submitted proposed winter cycle rates based on competitive auctions held earlier this year to procure the electricity needed to meet the forecasted load. Both utilities pass through standard service rates without markup or profit.
The bid process, underlying calculations, and resulting rates were announced Friday following analysis and verification by PURA technical staff.
The Standard Service generation rates for other residential and business customer classes are also set to change effective Jan. 1, 2018. The new rates will be in effect through June 30, 2018.
Approximately two-thirds of Connecticut’s residential customers receive Standard Service generation from Eversource and UI. The remaining residential customers have chosen to receive their electricity from licensed electric suppliers, whose rates may be more or less than the Standard Service depending upon contract terms and the energy source.
Customers can compare UI and Eversource Standard Service generation rates to licensed suppliers’ current offers on Connecticut’s official generation Rate Board at www.energizect.com. From the home page, select “Choose Your Electric Supplier.”
Meanwhile, Eversource said its power restoration efforts following the Oct. 29 storm that left hundreds of thousands of customers without power have been largely completed.
With the help of additional out-of-state crews, Eversource restored electric service to more than 312,000 customers impacted by the storm, replaced more than 280 utility poles, and strung more than 75 miles of new overhead lines.
More than 5 inches of rain fell during the storm and winds exceeded 65 miles per hour, knocking down power lines throughout the state.
“Our employees and contractors did a tremendous job repairing damage and restoring power after this destructive storm,” Eversource Vice President of Electric Operations in Connecticut Michael Hayhurst said. “We know how tough it is for customers to be without power and we greatly appreciate their understanding.”
Hayhurst said Eversource crews will continue to focus on the remaining single or scattered outages until all customers are back on line.
He said the remaining outages are more complex, requiring additional time to complete, and may require assistance from a private electrician or contractor. Lineworkers are going to each of these individual locations to assess what additional equipment or effort may be required to make repairs, Hayhurst said.
The company reminds customers to be cautious while continuing with their own storm clean up and to be careful moving or cutting tree limbs. Look for any wires that may be entangled in debris.
Eversource stressed that customers should always treat any downed power lines as live and should stay at least 10 feet away to ensure safety.