Sen. Chris Murphy is calling for an investigation into why New England’s largest energy provider has doubled its nonpayment disconnections in just two years.
Eversource Energy made 28,851 disconnections in 2015, 41,235 in 2016 and 52,298 in 2017, according to PURA. The drastic increase has caught the attention of Murphy, who is asking the state’s utility regulatory agency to investigate the service cuts and “scrutinize” Eversource’s outreach for low-income customers.
Murphy called the shutoffs “alarming,” especially since Connecticut’s economy has improved over recent years, he wrote in a letter to PURA.
Eversource spokesman Mitch Gross said the utility disagrees with Murphy’s assertions, adding that the company communicates with customers in numerous ways and urges customers to call them if they’re having trouble paying their bill.
“Unfortunately, energy costs remain high, not just in Connecticut but throughout New England,” Gross said. “While shutting off any customer is a last resort, unpaid bills drive up costs for everyone else.
