Connecticut residents already struggling with high living costs are about to face another financial blow. Eversource Energy announced Friday that most residential customers will see their monthly electric bills jump by $15 starting January 1st, forcing many families to make tough choices as winter approaches.
The average household’s bill will climb from $212 to $227 per month, marking yet another increase on top of the steep rate hikes that hit residents this past summer. This latest increase will affect nearly 80% of Eversource’s residential customers – about 932,702 Connecticut households.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong blasted the announcement as “more awful news from our out-of-touch public utilities.”
“Let’s get real: This is not a decrease,” Tong said. “This is yet another increase on top of the exorbitant bills that already hit this summer. Connecticut families have a right to be outraged, and have a right to demand better.”
The timing couldn’t be worse for residents, as the rate hike coincides with peak winter heating season when electricity usage typically rises. While Eversource claims the new winter rates are lower than last year’s, critics point out that this offers little comfort to families already struggling to make ends meet.
State Senate Republicans blamed the Democratic majority for failing to provide relief, stating, “The pain for working and middle-class families in Connecticut is going to keep increasing.” They noted that Democrats have refused calls for a special session to address energy costs.
Eversource will implement the new rates on January 1st, pending approval from state regulators who typically approve such requests without changes. The company maintains that the increase reflects market forces beyond their control, particularly winter natural gas prices – an explanation that may ring hollow for residents facing higher monthly bills.
For the nearly one million affected households, the new year will begin with yet another squeeze on their family budgets, continuing Connecticut’s struggle with some of the highest electricity rates in the continental United States.
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