New England Electricity Rates: Quite a Difference

By Jim McDonnell and Evelyn Teel, Avalon Energy Services, LLC

Compared to the rest of the United States, electricity prices in New England are high.  Nothing surprising there.  So, just how expensive are they?  Well, it depends.  And, the surprising part is which utility, in one comparison, has the lowest rates.

First, some background.

Eversource Energy is an investor-owned utility headquartered in Hartford, CT and Boston, MA. Eversource is the rebranded name of Northeast Utilities, after its merger with NSTAR in 2012. Through its three electric distribution companies, Eversource operates New England’s largest energy delivery system and has 3.2 million electricity customers.

United Illuminating Company, a subsidiary of Avangrid, Inc., is an electric distribution company serving 325,000 customers in Connecticut.  Avangrid, through its four electric utility subsidiaries, serves about 2.2 million customers in New England and New York State.     

Wallingford, Connecticut is a town of 45,000 people located between Hartford and New Haven. Despite its size, the town operates its own municipal electric utility, known as the Wallingford Electric Division (WED).

Despite operating in the same geographic area, the three utilities vary dramatically in terms of their rates and the costs to their consumers.

A recent bill insert sent out by WED provided the following rate comparison.  These are residential rates for an account that averages 750 kWh per month.  

Utilities have different energy procurement strategies and different infrastructure issues, which contribute to their varied pricing. Furthermore, municipal electric utilities are exempt from certain mandates that affect the pricing of larger utilities.  However, the 6.2 and 11.5 cents per kWh differences between a small municipal utility and the two large investor-owned utilities are dramatic. 

Note:  The WED bill insert was provided by Dan McDonnell of Wallingford, CT.

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