PURA OKs new rate for United Illuminating, Eversource

Customers of The United Illuminating Co. and Eversource Energy who allow the utilities to purchase the electricity they use will see that portion of their monthly utility bill decrease starting Jan. 1.

The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority approved the new generation rates for standard service customers on Wednesday. Standard service customers let UI and

Eversource Energy purchase generated electricity for them rather than buying it through a thirdparty provider.

Eversource’s residential standard service customers will see their generation rate drop from 9.41 cents per kilowatt hour to 7.38 cents per kilowatt hour, according to Mitch Gross, a spokesman for the company. The new rate will result in a $14.21 savings on the generation portion of the average

Eversource customer’s bill, based upon a customer using 700 kilowatt hours per month, Gross said.

Eversouce has 77.8 percent of its customers on standard service, he said.

UI’s residential customers will see their generation rate decrease from 10.58 cents per kilowatt hour to 8.67 cents, said Ed Crowder, a spokesman for UI. That translates into a savings of $13.23 a month for UI customers using 700 kilowatt hours per month, Crowder said.

UI has about 70 percent of its customers on standard service, he said.

Crowder said many residential customers are using more electricity right now because they’re spending more time at home.

“If they sign up for an online account, they’ll find tools they can use to understand their usage so they can better manage it,” he said.

The standard service rate is passed on to customers without any mark-up by UI and Eversource Energy. The costs were determined from the results of competitive wholesale auctions held earlier this year which then were reviewed and verified by PURA staff.

The standard service generation rates change twice a year, on Jan. 1 and July 1.