Overview:
Eversource’s upcoming 13% supply rate hike continues a trend of soaring electricity costs in Connecticut, where residents already pay among the highest rates in the nation. The article breaks down the causes, state policy factors, and political debate surrounding the issue—highlighting Erin Stewart’s push for reforms and questioning whether meaningful relief is finally coming.
By Gabrielle Peters | Presence News
Beginning January 1, 2026, Connecticut residents will face yet another jolt to their utility bills. Eversource Energy’s winter supply rate is set to increase 13%. It will jump from 9.75 cents to 12.64 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). For an average household using 700 kWh per month, that translates to roughly $10 more each month. This is on top of the earlier 2025 increase of 2.2 cents per kWh, which already added about $15 to monthly bills.
These back-to-back hikes deepen the burden in a state already notorious for high electricity costs. Despite a $155 million state borrowing effort in August 2025 to temporarily reduce bills, many residents say the relief barely addresses the underlying crisis.
Connecticut’s High-Cost Reality
As of late 2025, Connecticut’s average residential electricity price sits near the top of the U.S. charts—over 30 cents per kWh, according to regional reporting. Monthly bills often exceed $200. This is nearly double the national average, even though residents tend to use less power than households in other states.
The reasons are layered:
- New England’s dependence on imported natural gas
- High transmission and delivery charges
- State policy-driven fees and surcharges
- Limited competition among suppliers
The combination leaves Connecticut families and businesses squeezed between environmental mandates, utility infrastructure needs, and volatile fuel markets.
Policy, Politics, and the ‘Benefits Charge’ Debate
Under Governor Ned Lamont, Connecticut has pursued aggressive clean-energy and efficiency goals. These are often funded by the public benefits charge, a mandated fee on ratepayers that covers clean-energy programs, low-income assistance, and conservation initiatives.
Critics argue the charge has ballooned without adequate oversight. It has effectively become an opaque “extra tax” on residents already overwhelmed by skyrocketing bills.
@ Pleiades comments : This is only shocking to trusting morons living in a fantasy land.
Lamont has taken reactive steps—including scheduling a 2025 bond commission vote aimed at reducing these charges and supporting temporary borrowing for relief. But rate hikes continue to outpace reforms. Meanwhile, regulators at the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) maintain limited ability to block utility-proposed increases. This leaves lawmakers frustrated and ratepayers paying more each year.
Erin Stewart Steps Into the Energy Fight
Among the loudest voices demanding change is Erin Stewart, former six-term Republican mayor of New Britain and 2026 gubernatorial candidate. Known for her focus on affordability issues, Stewart has repeatedly called out what she views as systemic failures in the state’s energy policy.
In March 2025, she testified before the Energy and Technology Committee in support of Senate Bill 647, legislation aimed at giving consumers greater protection from steep rate increases and expanding supply options.
Her advocacy accelerated over the summer of 2025. In an August video message, Stewart blasted the public benefits charge as a political “shell game”. She argued that both parties had allowed it to grow unchecked while families struggled to keep up with mounting costs.
“There’s not a single one of us that hasn’t called for action,” she said, urging immediate reforms to cut costs and expand energy supply.
Stewart’s messaging has resonated with residents who feel trapped in a system that continues to raise rates without delivering solutions.
A State Waiting for Relief
As Connecticut braces for a winter of higher bills, the larger question persists: Will policy reforms finally bring long-term stability, or is the state doomed to an endless cycle of increases?
With vocal leaders like Stewart pushing the issue to the forefront—and voters increasingly fed up—energy affordability may become one of the defining political fights of 2026.
Editor’s Note
Presence News has reached out to relevant public officials and candidates for comment. All individuals are invited to submit responses, clarifications, or statements for publication.
Bibliography
- WFSB – “Eversource winter supply rate expected to increase” (Nov. 17, 2025)
https://www.wfsb.com/2025/11/17/eversource-winter-supply-rate-expected-increase/ - New Haven Register – “Eversource electric rates expected to increase in 2026. Here’s why” (Nov. 18, 2025)
https://www.nhregister.com/business/article/ct-electric-rates-increase-eversource-21193234.php - NBC Connecticut – “Eversource says winter electricity supply rate expected to increase more than last year” (Nov. 17, 2025)
https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/eversource-says-winter-electricity-supply-rate-expected-to-increase-more-than-last-year/3665457/ - Connecticut General Assembly – “Testimony of Erin Stewart on SB 647” (March 6, 2025)
https://www.cga.ct.gov/2025/etdata/TMY/2025SB-00647-R000306-Stewart%2C%20Erin%2C%20Mayor-City%20of%20New%20Britain%20CT-Supports-TMY.PDF
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