CONNECTICUT, USA — With these hot temperatures many people are staying inside and blasting that AC, but a new study finds Connecticut has the fourth most expensive energy costs in the country.
Residents see a monthly electric bill of $171 on average – Alabama is the only state paying more for their electricity than Connecticut.
“It gets very expensive and it certainly got very expensive over the last year,” said New Britain resident Lynn Rouleau.
Some state lawmakers say it’s no surprise energy bills in Connecticut are sky-high.
“We have known for a long time that Connecticut has among the highest electricity costs in the entire country,” state Sen. Ryan Fazio, (R-Greenwich) said.
One-fourth of U.S. households already spend more than 6% of their income on utility bills and around 27% find it difficult to meet their energy needs.
“I try not to use the air conditioner unless it's very humid,” said Nancy Nickerson.
East Granby resident Theo Theuri said, “Sometimes I leave the window open because you know you're trying to lower the costs.”
The good news for residents is new standard service rates kicked in on July 1, cutting customers’ bills by upward of $56 a month.
“You do see the supply rate go down during the summer months because there is less demand for natural gas which is what's mainly used to generate electricity in our region,” said Eversource spokesperson Jamie Ratliff.
Ratliff adds bills might not reflect this yet. With a hot summer already in full swing, energy experts say people are just using more power.
“Connecticut customers use about 35% more electricity during the summer months and the reason for that is we're using air conditioners, fans, these appliances really working overtime, to help keep things cool inside,” she said.
Keeping things cool was a top priority for state legislators this past session.
“Some of it is simple economics that we're kind of at the end of the so-called pipeline,” said Fazio. “We're in the northeastern part of the country, but the state government does bear some responsibility for the high costs.”
Fazio says the legislature’s Energy Committee was able to work together and pass some bipartisan measures to strengthen oversight of utilities, and include more hydroelectricity and nuclear energy in the state's renewable portfolio. But he says while these long-term solutions are important, the state needs to focus on short-term relief too.
“This is going to be a difficult problem, but it needs to be a top top priority of the state government of the Regional Transmission Organization New England, as well as the federal government,” Fazio continued.
In the meantime to keep costs down, Ratliff says people can set their air conditioner a few degrees warmer, make sure air vents are clear of obstructions, and keep blinds or curtains closed when it's really hot out to prevent that unwanted heat from getting in.
Connecticut customers can also shop around for lower energy rates.
Emma Wulfhorst is a political reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at ewulfhorst@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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