Lamont And Democrats Need To Fix Connecticut's Electric Bill

Lamont should issue an Executive Order Putting Moratorium on Collecting Public Benefit Charges and Call Legislature into Special Session

MIDDLETOWN - On August 8, 2024, the Senate and House Republicans held a press conference on the ever-rising electric bills Connecticut homeowners and businesses have been receiving. Leaders Harding and Candelora, together with the entire Senate and House Republican Caucuses, called for an immediate Special Session of the General Assembly to address the outrageous electric bills Connecticut homeowners and businesses received this month. (A copy of the Joint Release is Attached. You can watch the press conference by clicking this link.)

“Unfortunately, Governor Lamont and the Democrat leadership in Hartford are standing with their hands in our pockets disguised as so-called “public benefit” charges on our electric bills,” said Connecticut Republican Chairman Ben Proto. “This month, homeowners and businesses saw record high electric bills, with the public benefit charges exceeding 20-25% of the overall bill. What exactly is the benefit that the public is getting from these charges” asked Proto.

“The Democrat majority recently doubled the “public benefit” charge for the conservation and load management program, adding additional costs to struggling Connecticut families. In addition, various other funds (also known as a tax in some languages) are added to our bills to fund legislators’ pet projects. It is time to end these funds.”

“Governor Lamont can, with a stroke of his pen, issue an Executive Order, placing an immediate moratorium on the collection of many, if not all these, charges, and call the legislature into Special Session, to implement permanent changes to these charges, including reducing, if not eliminating, many of these overly burdensome taxes imposed on the people of Connecticut,” Proto said. “The Republicans in the Connecticut General Assembly are, once again, leading the way on trying to make Connecticut more affordable, while the Democrats sit on their hands and hope the public will forget come November.”

There are more than 15 “public benefit” charges listed on an electric bill. Below is a list of all the charges on a UI bill this month:

Energy Assistance Costs 1,062 kWh x $0.009053
Energy Assistance Costs 827 kWh x $0.027419
Energy Efficiency Programs 1,889 kWh x $0.006000
Renewable Energy Investment 1,889 kWh x $0.001000
New England Grid Operator Cost Peak 350 kWh x $0.001023
New England Grid Operator Cost Peak 273 kWh x $0.006600
New England Grid Operator Cost Off-Peak 1,266 kWh x $0.000000
State Mandated Energy Purchases Peak 350 kWh x $0.006393
State Mandated Energy Purchases Peak 273 kWh x $0.056933

State Mandated Energy Purchases Off-Peak 1,266 kWh x $0.000000

Customer Produced Energy Peak 350 kWh x $0.003415
Customer Produced Energy Peak 273 kWh x$0.014048
Customer Produced Energy Off-Peak 1,266 kWh x $0.000000
Misc. & Other Mandates Peak 350 kWh x $0.001870
Misc. & Other Mandates Peak 273 kWh x $0.010924
Misc. & Other Mandates Off-Peak 1,266 kWh x $0.000000

Does anyone know what these charges are for or why we need them?

“It is time for Governor Lamont and the Democrats to back up their word that Connecticut’s economy is great, that we are doing well, and implement policies, not words, that will improve the average family’s ability to pay their bills. They can start with reducing our electric bills with a simple stroke of the pen.”

“Governor Lamont, please issue an Executive Order that actually helps the people of Connecticut, and please, Speaker Ritter and Senator Looney, call the legislature back into session and fix this problem. It’s the least you can do to help struggling Connecticut families pay their bills,” concluded Proto.