CONNECTICUT, USA — United Illuminating, or UI, is seeking to increase their revenue by $105 million, which Connecticut officials said Monday will increase customer electric rates.
State officials said the electric company filed a notice about the rate hike Monday with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, which they said will increase electric bills by an average of 9.3%, with a 34% rise in distribution rate.
According to a UI spokesperson, the revenue increase will be used to support 200 major infrastructure projects, primarily in disadvantaged and Environmental Justice communities. They claim the request is a result of "PURA's choice to defer the necessary funding" in 2023.
"UI’s one-year rate proposal is approximately representative of the differential between UI’s previous rate request in 2022 ($131 million in a three-year rate plan) and the increase PURA approved in August 2023 (less than $23 million in a one-year rate plan)," the spokesperson said. "While spreading the necessary rate increase over three years would have resulted in a steady annual rise of 5 percent and provided rate stability for customers, PURA’s choice to defer the necessary funding has led to UI’s request for a one-time increase of 9 to 10 percent in overall revenues in a one-year plan beginning in late 2025."
UI said some of the investments would include:
- Rebuilding Old Town Substation, a 1960s-era substation in need of technological modernization that serves nearly 18,000 distribution customers, primarily in Bridgeport and southern Trumbull;
- Replacing century-old splice chambers in New Haven, Bridgeport, and Ansonia towns, which will ensure the reliability of the underground electric network for critical infrastructure located in urban and downtown areas; and
- Decommissioning Whitney Avenue substation, a 70-year-old substation serving 2,000 customers in New Haven and Hamden, to ensure customers are instead served with modern, advanced infrastructure.
More information on UI's proposed investments can be found here.
Attorney General William Tong released a statement about UI's request, which he called "tone deaf" and a "revenue grab."
“This revenue grab is a tone-deaf slap in the face to Connecticut families. Electric rates are through the roof right now and consumers cannot afford to pay more. United Illuminating asked for and received a revenue increase just last year. They did not get everything they asked for because their absurd $130.7 million application was exorbitant and unsupported by facts and evidence," Tong said.
He continued, "They’ve been stomping their feet ever since. This is yet another bad faith maneuver and an insult to all the Connecticut families struggling right now to keep their lights on and pay these skyrocketing bills. I am going to scrutinize every penny of this pending application and will fight at every step of this process on behalf of Connecticut families and businesses,
Representatives of Connecticut's Senate GOP, including Sen. Ryan Fazio, Sen. Tony Hwang and Sen. Stephen Harding also released a statement on UI's proposal.
“The family budget hits to ratepayers will keep on coming if Connecticut’s state elected officials continue to do nothing about this emergency. In other words: ‘Get used to it. Grin and bear it.’ Democrats control all levers of political power in Connecticut. They don’t see the need, or the urgency, to hold a special session at the State Capitol to stop the bleeding. So, the bleeding will continue, unimpeded," they said in the statement.
They continued, “Republicans will continue to press for the common sense solutions we have been offering for more than a year and a half. Sadly, our reasonable ideas to provide relief to struggling families are dismissed again and again. We are heading into colder weather, and then winter. Ratepayers must now brace themselves.”
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