Many people in Connecticut have been feeling sticker shock over their electric bills this summer, and rates are increasing again.

The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) voted Wednesday morning to increase rates for both Eversource and United Illuminating once again. The latest hikes are designed to help pay for improving the state’s electric vehicle charging grid.

Eversource customers will see a rate increase of 0.3845 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh).

“We estimate that this increase for a typical residential customer using 700kWh a month will be an additional $3 per month from September 1 through April 30, 2025,” an Eversource spokesperson said.

United Illuminating customers will see a rate hike of 0.4592 cents per kWh.

In a statement posted to Facebook., Rep. Vincent Candelora and Sen. Stephen Harding said PURA’s actions during the meeting will further burden customers.

“These rate adjustments for Eversource and United Illuminating of an additional $80 million starting in September to enhance the EV charging grid will further burden ratepayers already struggling to pay their monthly electric bills,” they said.

State Republicans have been calling on Gov. Ned Lamont (D-Conn.) to hold a special session on climbing electric rates, saying they want consumer choice instead of electric vehicle mandates.

Town of Vernon releases petition opposing Eversource rate increase
“We appreciate PURA’s decision on this important matter. Thanks to Governor Lamont, his administration brought together the energy companies and key stakeholders like the Office of the Attorney General, DEEP, PURA, and OCC to forge a path forward to continue the state’s electric vehicle rebate program,” Eversource said. “Helping get more electric vehicles on the road is good for air quality and helping the state fight climate change, which we support. We will continue to advocate for regulatory policies which provide for stable and predictable rates for customers while also supporting Connecticut’s public policy goals.”

News 8 has reached out to United Illuminating for comment on Wednesday’s meeting.

Eversource customers were shocked to see they were billed hundreds more than usual for their July electric bill.

Last week, Eversource said the bills are higher partly due to “public benefit charges,” which they said cover costs for state-required and approved programs and policies.

Originally Posted By JeepinMaxx:
That public benefits portion of the bill is huge now.

My home Eversource bill was $780 this month!

Originally Posted By downstate:


I logged in and paid my bill minus the $86.23 for "Public Benefits" I'll do the same next month then look at dragging it out with the payment plans they offer.

Originally Posted By sbhaven:LOL has any Change.org petition actually worked?D

Some customers have seen their electricity bills go up by hundreds, if not thousands of dollars this summer, and a new petition is calling for the governor to take action immediately.

“It’s absolutely insane, it’s more than most people’s mortgages,” Scott Pearson, who started the petition on change.org, said.

Pearson says numerous people have been sending them their electricity bills. One statement he showed News 8 had charges totaling just under $3,200, with $800 in public benefit charges. Another bill listed on the petition shows a bill of over $950 with $200 in public benefit charges.

“The disconnect between the governor and his citizens is just astronomical,” Pearson said. “Everyone is very, very upset about it.”

“A couple weeks ago when it was really hot, I went to service a senior citizen, and I walked in the apartment,” Pearson said. “It must’ve been 100 degrees and I said ‘why don’t you put on the air conditioner?’ and she looked at me and said ‘I just got my Eversource bill, I can’t afford it.'”

Pearson has started an online petition calling for the governor to revoke “public benefits” charges and for the Public Regulatory Utilities Authority (PURA) to reverse Wednesday’s rate hike. His petition has gained nearly 40,000 signatures.

Meanwhile, New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart is voicing her concerns on social media.

“I’m pissed about my Eversource bill this month,” she said in a video post on X. “The legislature calls them ‘public benefit’ fees. But let’s be real, it’s just a hidden tax that hides elected officials from real accountability.”

A spokesperson for the governor’s office told News 8 “Gov. Lamont agrees that Connecticut residents are paying too much for electricity and has said he would be open to considering practical solutions to help lower costs in a special session. This is not a partisan issue as we all agree that we need a solution to lower energy costs.”

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for PURA said

“The Authority is actually currently in receipt of two motions to reopen/reconsider the RAM decision – one from the Energy and Technology Committee Leadership and one from the Office of Consumer Counsel. Our processes allow parties seven days to comment before the matter is taken up. Since these are open matters before us, as a quasi-judicial agency we cannot provide comments at this time.”

Originally Posted By User55645:
Actually, yes, but you keep doing nothing except bitching about it on the internet; I'm sure that'll get it fixed right up

Originally Posted By zegermanznew:
Obligatory solar post.

No bill $9.62 as usual.

Company I work for gives us $500 for referring a sale. If we install your system I’ll just give you the $500 or whatever it comes out to after taxes.

I’d be your Sr Project Manager and oversee the design and construction. We have great install crews and only use the best materials and equipment.

Been at it for 17 years. Reasonably sure its not a scam.


Message or text for details.

Originally Posted By PGAEMU:


What company? Can you spell out the math for a typical house on Eversource with a 5-600 per month peak summer bill?

Originally Posted By User55645:

Actually, yes, but you keep doing nothing except bitching about it on the internet; I'm sure that'll get it fixed right up

Originally Posted By downstate:


I'm about the same for my summer peak so I'd be interested in the math as well.

I also have a 100 amp service and assume I'd have to upgrade to 200 amp for solar?

Thanks!

Originally Posted By sbhaven:
This time it's to pay for "improving the state’s electric vehicle charging grid".
Eversource customers will see a rate increase of 0.3845 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh).
United Illuminating customers will see a rate hike of 0.4592 cents per kWh.

PURA approves rate hike for Eversource, United Illuminating customers

Originally Posted By zegermanznew:
Obligatory solar post.

No bill $9.62 as usual.

Company I work for gives us $500 for referring a sale. If we install your system I’ll just give you the $500 or whatever it comes out to after taxes.

I’d be your Sr Project Manager and oversee the design and construction. We have great install crews and only use the best materials and equipment.

Been at it for 17 years. Reasonably sure its not a scam.


Message or text for details.

It’s been one week since every Republican legislator in Connecticut (there are 65) signed a petition to call a special session to lower electricity bills and control utility costs long term. After one week, NOT A SINGLE DEMOCRAT HAS SIGNED (there are 122). Governor Lamont can say “It’s not a partisan issue”…but apparently, his fellow Democrats in the Legislature disagree.

Call and email your legislators and tell them it’s time to put people over politics. Visit specialsessionct.com to urge them to sign the petition!

The proposals outlined in our petition include:
•Moving "Public Benefit Charges" permanently off ratepayer bills
• Providing immediate electric rate relief by reallocating unobligated end-of-year American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and re-examining budgetary options that could make available additional dollars to (a) cover the portions of rate increases associated with the moratorium on electric service shutoffs and the costs associated with electric vehicle charging programs and (b) provide additional rate relief to ratepayers to the maximum extent possible as funds allow
• Capping all future Power Purchase Agreements to no more than 150% over the wholesale electric market price
• Redefining Class I renewable energy sources to enable competition to lower the cost of these energy sources
• Restoring the independence of the Public Utility Regulatory Authority (PURA), by separating it from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).

Originally Posted By User55645:

If you can buy and install everything yourself, you should be able to have it paid off w/in ~8yrs and it doesn't really "cost you anything". I say this because you can get a 0% gov't loan, for renewables, and pay the loan instead of a monthly electric bill. So, you're just diverting payment.


Not to sound like a dick, but, if you really cared, you could've done a simple google search. Change.org puts out impact reports, which outlines some of the most impactful annual petitions, from around the world.

Juneteenth National Holiday was started as a change.org petition!

Originally Posted By PGAEMU:
Still waiting on the math where it makes sense to go solar. If the economic benefit is there lll definitely do it.

Originally Posted By edgephoto:



I have done the math several times and I just can't make it work. Be careful as these outfits use fuzzy math and fast talking to get you to sign.

I had a place come out and the salesman tried to get me to sign loan papers. The interest rate was crazy high, like 20%+, and the total price was way higher than he was talking. Had some excuse to explain the price. Then when I balked the price dropped over $15,000 and the interest rate went way down too. That film flam bullshit turned me off totally. I would not use that company. Their business practice is shady and they don't really like to give you info on what they are installing.

I rather just do my best to be frugal, when solar stops being the 21st century aluminum siding and it makes financial sense I am game. You are looking at like a 10-15 yr payback providing nothing goes wrong.

Originally Posted By remarcablearms:
Well sure throw enough shi* at a wall and something Will stick. How about a percentage of success. If they score 1 out of 1000 I would call that useless.
Are you really gonna use the liberal wonder called  Juneteenth an accomplishment. That's easy. Try to find any conservative issue. Or one related to anything other than liberal causes that have successful.

Gina Pellrine said her restaurant’s electric bill is the highest it’s been in 36 years.

“My bill for my business was $2,900 this morning,” she said.

She joined other small business owners on Friday at a breakfast hosted at Rodd’s Restaurant in Bristol, where state Sen. Henri Martin (R-District 31) listened to constituents during his monthly “First Friday” discussions.

“Well, I guess the first one on top of everyone’s mind is using the ARPA funds [to help],” Martin said, adding that he’s heard $700 million is available.

Martin said a portion of those funds would be applied to rates paid by customers.

Eversource has said that its costs increased due to a legal ruling during the pandemic that prevented utility companies from turning off services because of nonpayment.

“I worked throughout COVID,” Melanie McKinley, a small business owner, said. “It’s not my fault that other people can’t pay their bills. There [are] other means of making money.”

Martin said a solution can’t wait.

Originally Posted By WoodBurner-CT:
Vote for socialists and your will have socialist laws. This state is a shit hole in distress and until people vote the demonrat scum out they will continue to live under the jack boot of the left.

Originally Posted By PGAEMU:


What company? Can you spell out the math for a typical house on Eversource with a 5-600 per month peak summer bill?

Originally Posted By downstate:


I'm about the same for my summer peak so I'd be interested in the math as well.

I also have a 100 amp service and assume I'd have to upgrade to 200 amp for solar?

Thanks!

Originally Posted By middletownbob:
alot of people think, if i have solar i dont need a generator, not true, you have to invest big bucks into storage batteries which dont last long..i heard a guy who had alot of acres of land and wanted to go off the grid so he wanted to buy panels to put up...they would not sell them to him, cause they they dont want people to go off the grid, i thought that was very telling..

Originally Posted By edgephoto:



Solar is not a scam. Many solar companies are scammers or at least devious.

The payback is still not there, IMHO. I was quoted for my 1600 sq ft house $35,000 for a system. That puts the payback at 11 years based on this years bills. This is providing there are no failures that need repair.

I got turned off to the whole used car vibe of the sales person who came out. Starts at over $40k then I mentioned cash and no financing then it was $35k, then if I financed it was $25k but the interest rate was something like 12%. Then the company tried to file a loan application and that was a whole shit show too. The process turned me off as did the cost.

Originally Posted By User55645:

If you can buy and install everything yourself, you should be able to have it paid off w/in ~8yrs and it doesn't really "cost you anything". I say this because you can get a 0% gov't loan, for renewables, and pay the loan instead of a monthly electric bill. So, you're just diverting payment.


Not to sound like a dick, but, if you really cared, you could've done a simple google search. Change.org puts out impact reports, which outlines some of the most impactful annual petitions, from around the world.

Juneteenth National Holiday was started as a change.org petition!

Originally Posted By Blaster3094:


Don't forget about the many issues Solar brings. You may need to replace your roof first. Is your roof capable of handling the load? What if the installation leaks? A poor installation can result in fire.
Gov Guide to Fire Safety with Solar Systems

Originally Posted By WoodBurner-CT:
Which is why I'd never put panels on the roof despite having a new roof done 8 months ago and I have full sun all day.

Originally Posted By Leon82:



The lease and Ppa won't let you out 35 panels up. They only give you enough to match your load. So if you want that you have to buy outright

Organizers plan to speak out against high utility rates at the Capitol Thursday.

The rally starts at 9 a.m. and will go until 1 p.m.

Over 130 people posted to social media to say they’ll be there.

It comes after residents across the state say they’ve seen their electricity bills go up by hundreds, if not thousands over the summer.

Utility customers say one of their major complaints is from the public benefits charges.

The utility companies say they’re using that extra charge to recover costs from the pandemic and to invest in EV programs.

On top of that, the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority approved a rate hike for United Illuminating and Eversource customers last month. Eversource said that would add an extra $3 to the average customer’s bill.

Upset over your Eversource bill? You’re not alone
Last month, the organizer of a petition calling for the public benefits charge to be removed told News 8 the “insane” bill are more than most people’s mortgages.

“The disconnect between the governor and his citizens is just astronomical…Everyone is very very very upset about it,” Scott Pearson said.

On Thursday morning, UI spokesperson Sarah Wall Fliotsos shared the following statement with News 8:

“We understand the increased costs of policymakers’ public policy initiatives in the Public Benefits Charge have been difficult for our customers, particularly over the summer due to increased usage in Connecticut’s hottest month on record. But we also know that continuing to defer these costs will only result in higher bills next year, and that ‘kicking the can down the road’ is, in fact, why customers experienced rate shock this summer.

To mitigate rate shock like this going forward, we urge PURA to return to forward-looking forecasts that stabilized electric bills for decades, and we ask that legislators consider these bill impacts for the programs they may implement during future legislative sessions.”