Liz Linehan

Many constituents have contacted me after opening their electric bill and being shocked by the increase - some have been raised by HUNDREDS of dollars! On top of that, PURA is considering an Eversource rate hike request that would take effect on May 1 if approved. I heard your concerns, and together we need to take action.

Today I submitted my testimony fervently opposing further rate hikes. But I’m only one voice - join me in urging PURA to DENY Eversource rate hikes! Click here for instructions on how to submit testimony via email or mail. (Be sure to mention the docket number: 17-10-46) You can read my testimony below:

Members of the Public Utility Regulatory Authority,

I would like to express my strong opposition to the settlement reached with Eversource proposing a $154 million rate increase over three years. Connecticut residents and business already pay some of the highest electric rates in the country; there is no room for such a large hike. Our senior citizens are increasingly struggling to live on a fixed income, and it’s absurd to suggest that another drastic increase is manageable for consumers.

We urgently need greater transparency from our utility companies, beginning with a more thorough explanation of how distribution charges are being spent. After years of rate increases justified by the need for electric grid improvements, we still deal with storms that cause power losses for days at a time. Just this last October, houses were dark and streetlamps were out on Halloween night, causing huge safety concerns for families in Cheshire, Southington, and Wallingford.

Connecticut cannot afford this increase in the cost of living. Businesses will pass on the extra costs to consumers. Non-profits will be forced to spend more on electricity and less on the people they serve. The middle and working class residents of Connecticut are living paycheck to paycheck, managing their finances and doing more with less; I urge PURA to take that into consideration, and force Eversource to do the same.