Eversource Estimates Point To Lower July Standard Bill Increase In CT

CONNECTICUT — Eversource Energy has come up with a number and the estimated summertime increase to Standard Service customer electric bills in Connecticut is much lower than originally anticipated.

Eversource officials told Patch Wednesday that, starting July 1, the majority of residential electric customers using 700 kWh can expect to see an increase of approximately $13 per month on their bills.

Residential customers not on the Eversource Standard Service rate will see an approximately $48 per month increase on their bill, officials said.

The rate increase was approved by state regulators last week and Eversource released the formal estimates Wednesday.

The rate increase is almost entirely within the "Public Benefits" portion of all customer bills, officials said.

Customers on the Standard Service rate will see less of an increase because it will be partially offset by an expected reduction of the Standard Service energy supply rate that also takes effect on July 1.

"Customers enrolled with a third-party supplier are encouraged to continue monitoring EnergizeCT.com to find the best rate for them as they may be able to find a lower supply rate which can help lessen the impact," Eversource officials said.

The billing period approved by the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority run from July 1 to April 30 with a caveat — the supply rates will be reviewed, as always, on Jan. 1.

PURA last week voted 2-1 (with chairwoman Marissa P. Gillett dissenting) to pass its annual Rate Adjustment Mechanisms, also known as RAM, for electric utilities, including Eversource.

The utility was initially seeking an increase of about 19 percent ($38 a month on average) for the July to April period to mostly recoup delayed bill payments that state government required it to implement because of hardships incurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. A reduction of the Standard Service energy supply rate should offset some of that to take the Standard Service customer increase to the $13 average, officials said.