Connecticut residents paid some of the highest amounts for electricity in the United States, second only to Hawaii, according to a new analysis from Ownerly.
The report analyzed electricity price data from the Energy Information Administration to determine which states saw the greatest price increases in 2022. In total, they discovered that 18 states, including Connecticut, saw increases of at least 10%.
Connecticut, specifically, saw an increase of 10.4% overall, and average Connecticut electric consumers spent $173.16 per month. Hawaiians spent more than $200 per month after their electric bills increased by an average of $40.
The rest of New England fared slightly better, though Maine saw the highest increase in the nation, as bills went up 31.26%. Still, Maine residents paid some of the lowest dollar amounts in the region, with average monthly bills of $126.
Vermont saw the lowest electricity costs with an average monthly bill of $114. Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island customers, meanwhile, spent between $130-147 per month.
According to Ownerly, “inflation, a rebounding economy, and fuel-related repercussions from the Ukraine conflict” all contributed to a 40-year high in energy prices across the country last year.
Those factors don’t seem to be lessening any time soon. On January 1st of this year, customers of both Eversource Energy and United Illuminating saw a doubling of electric supply rates which will remain in effect through the end of June. Those rate hikes will result in an average bill increase of 40%, which amounts to an extra $80 per month for the average consumer.
Energy costs are likely to be a hot topic during the recently convened legislative session, as residents feeling the pinch from increased monthly expenses put pressure on Representatives to do something about it.
Additionally, the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority has opened an inquiry into the Eversource price increases, hoping to better understand how the utility sets and alters its supply rates.
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Smoke and mirrors. The biggest problem with electricity costs have been delivery fees for years and now that they are coming under actual scrutiny and could potentially put a wrench in the solar industry they are jacking up the generation fees and will probably drop them back a little in hopes to make people happy and go away. Once you put solar panels on your roof you no longer get charged delivery fees. Those fees are collected to pay for repairs and upgrades of poles, wires and transformers. They pay for tree trimming, vehicles, property, salaries for everyone including the millions their CEO gets. Solar customers don’t pay these fees. Solar customers use the same grid and equipment to send out power during the day and bring it in during the night. they make use of the same wires, poles, and transformers. They have the same office staff prepare their bills and send them out. They use the same services that non-solar customers use, even more since they send power both directions. The fees they no longer paying are distributed among the non-solar customers since those costs still need to be paid for. This is the biggest violation of public trust.
Far more important than the price of electricity is the reliability of the supply. Eversource’s CEO has warned of the possibility of rolling blackouts on cold winter nights if President Biden doesn’t waive the Jones Act.
In fact, the Boston Globe has warned that the President may lack the statutory authority to waive the Jones
Act. If we’re dependent on Congress to act, we had best begin stacking up our firewood or we’ll find ourselves in the same condition as the voters i Texas, where the legislature focused on price instead of supply.
State of Connecticut January 2023
FACT:
Rate July 1 -December 31, 2022 was:
Rate 1 / Rate 5* 12.050
Rate 7 (On-Peak) 14.617
Rate 7 (Off-Peak) 11.117
FACT:
Eversource Current Residential Supply Rates
RateJanuary 1 – June 30, 2023:
Rate 1 / Rate 5* 24.172 (They told us 50% increase and it turned out to 100%)
Rate 7 (On-Peak) 26.799
Rate 7 (Off-Peak) 23.299
This does not include the other costs like:
Comb Public Benefit Chrg* 3099.00kWh X $0.01248 $38.68
Distr Cust Srvc Chrg $9.62
Electric Sys Improvements*** 3099.00kWh X $0.00997 $30.90
Revenue Adj Mechanism 3099.00kWh X $0.00192 $5.95
Apparently Jacking the rates up was just for their investors since they just tack on charges to maintain the grid and to pay for the people who “get hel with their bills.” Especially since the other jsutifcation was the cost of natural gas, but as anyine can see the cost of natural gas has decreased not increaded. They are just bleeding customers dry because they know customers have no alternative in most of CT. They have a Monopoly and want to continue it by making it so people who go solar are still under their control.