Eversource is warning customers of a higher than usual winter
bill as energy demand increases gas and electricity prices.
The Connecticut utility company sent a message to customers
Wednesday saying global demand for natural gas and electricity prices for the
upcoming winter heating season are on the rise.
"After hitting 10-year lows during the COVID-19 pandemic,
the price of natural gas has risen significantly – impacting customers
nationwide and across the globe. The driving factors include an increase in
global demand during the ongoing economic recovery and a significant drop in
U.S. gas supply due to a number of issues including the pandemic and extreme
weather in gas-producing states," Eversource wrote in a press release.
The company says in November, the average Eversource natural gas
residential heating customer could see a 14%, or $30, increase on their total
bill as compared to their average monthly winter heating bill in 2020.
They say the increasing cost of natural gas will also impact the
cost of electricity.
The cost of electricity changes twice a year in Connecticut for
Eversource customers.
Eversource will file this week the new cost of electricity rates
applicable to customer bills beginning Jan. 1, 2022. Eversource and other
utilities do not earn a profit on the cost of electricity in Connecticut and
charge customers only what the company pays generators for electricity.
"The cost of electricity will likely rise beginning on
January 1," Eversource says.
Eversource is urging their customers to prepare for the
higher winter bills by taking advantage of programs like Connecticut’s
UniteCT and Eversource’s energy efficiency solutions and payment plan options.