Portsmouth Community Power announces new rates

PORTSMOUTH – The Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire (CPCNH) Board of Directors has announced a 26 percent decrease in the Portsmouth Community Power base electric rate compared to the current rate. A base rate of 8.1¢ per kilowatthour for residential and small commercial customers goes into effect from Feb. 1 through July 31, 2024 for Portsmouth and other CPCNH customers. Customers do not need to do anything to receive this new rate.

CPCNH also offers their customers the choice to opt-up to greater percentages of renewable power at competitive rates: 8.4¢ per kilowatt-hour for Granite Plus with 33 percent renewable; 9.4¢ per kilowatt-hour for Clean 50, with 50 percent renewable; and 12.4¢ per kilowatt-hour for Clean 100 with 100 percent renewable. The default base rate for Portsmouth customers is 24.3 percent renewable content which is what the state’s Public Utilities Commission requires of Eversource. Opting-up is easy. For more information and to optup visit: communitypowernh.gov/ portsmouth.

“Portsmouth Community Power customers could reduce their carbon footprint from electricity the same as if they converted their homes to solar panels, at a fraction of the cost. For an estimated extra $29 a month (based on average residential usage of 650 kWh per month) , they would be drawing electricity from 100 percent renewable sources, eliminating more than two tons of carbon a year, and for only an extra $2 a month they increase their renewables from 24 percent to 33 percent,” said Portsmouth Energy Advisory Committee Chair Councilor John Tabor. “Portsmouth Community Power through our CPCNH partnership continues to get our residents the best electricity rates in the state with the most renewable options.”

CPCNH has offered the state’s lowest residential and small commercial energy supply rates and has created more than $10 million in savings and value over utility default rates since it launched in March 2023. The new rate represents a savings of 2 percent off Eversource’s rate and higher discounts from other utility’s rates in the state.

“The comparatively small discount relative to Eversource’s rate is because Eversource default energy service are being credited 1.5¢ per kilowatt-hour due to an over collection of rates last year,” said CPCNH board chair Clifton Below. “The Coalition is able to beat this artificially low rate for all NH residential and small commercial ratepayers while covering all our costs and accumulating financial reserves on behalf of our operating Community Power members. CPCNH has also announced basic supply rates for midsize commercial customers on monthly variable rates that are well below Eversource’s default offering.

Since launching in March 2023, fifty municipalities and two county members have joined the Coalition, making CPCNH the third-largest electrical supplier in the state, serving 25 percent of the NH population.

For more information on Portsmouth Community Power, visit: portsnh.co/commpower.