Electric bills would rise by an average of 6.79 percent if state regulators approve Eversource Energy’s request for a three-year rate hike, the utility says.
Eversource plans to file a request with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority within the next 30 days for a rate increase of $255.8 million in the first year, $45 million in the second, and $36 million in the third, Craig Hallstrom, the company’s president of electric operations in Connecticut, said in a news release.
Detailed rate changes proposed for all customer groups will be included in the rate filing by the end of November, Hallstrom said. If PURA approves the full request, the average increase would go into effect May 21, 2018, he said.
Rate changes might be lower than 6.79 percent in some customer categories and higher in others, Hallstrom said.
Electric customers who now pay monthly bills of $140 would pay about $9.50 more with a 6.79 percent increase.
PURA will schedule public hearings on the rate hike request.
According to Hallstrom, Eversource would use the higher rates to continue making “targeted investments” in its electrical system, such as installing “smart switches,” stronger poles and wires, and doing “enhanced tree trimming.”
Smart switches are designed to help restore power more quickly when outages occur, in part by rerouting electricity with computer-assisted technology from the company’s operations center, before sending a crew to inspect the line and make repairs.
“We’re always working to better serve our customers,” Hallstrom said.
Since 2012, Eversource has been installing thicker, stronger utility poles and heavier wire to withstand storms, he said.
Despite the thousands of outages that resulted from high wind and heavy rain Sunday and Monday, Hallstrom said the system upgrades have helped to reduce the number of annual storm-related outages overall by 34 percent.
In addition to the physical system improvements, Eversource is investing in advanced technology “to protect the electric grid from cybersecurity threats,” he said.
Eversource delivers electricity to 1.2 million customers in 149 towns and provides natural gas to 226,000 customers in 73 communities in Connecticut.
