Eleni Kavros DeGraw

Happy Thanksgiving! As we enter the holiday season, I hope that your table is filled with family and friends and that you find more to be grateful for than not.
 
I’m also thinking of our friends and neighbors who will be receiving their meals from our wonderful food pantries and basic service needs organizations. I’m grateful to all of you for your generosity and I hope if you haven’t yet had a chance to give, you will find the opportunity to do so.

Please see the section below on a bipartisan effort to drive more donations to our local pantries not just during the holidays but all year through.
 
Small business Saturday happens this weekend so as we bid farewell to Thanksgiving and hello to Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanza, I hope you’ll shop local first, last, and as often as possible!
 
I’d also like to highlight our wonderful Humane Society on their anniversary day. My colleagues and I had a chance to visit last week and what a wonderful service they continue to provide.
 
Most importantly, I am calling your attention to good news from Eversource regarding the supply side of your bill. They have already announced a rate that’s lower than expected and most likely that means other alternate suppliers will drop in order to stay competitive which means better prices than last winter. It’s not perfect, but it is a step forward. Be sure to visit EnergizeCT.com to shop for your rate.
 
Wishing you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow,
 
Eleni

The new Standard Service Rate, if approved by PURA, would be in effect from January 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024. 

Eversource is also offering several options for those who need help negotiating their bills!

• A new Low-Income Discount Rate will take effect December 1^st, which gives customers with a financial hardship status either a 10% or 50% discount off their electric bill per month. Customers can qualify to receive the discount based on household income or receipt of a public assistance benefit. For example, if a customer has a $100 monthly bill, it would be $10 less if they receive a 10% discount or $50 less if they receive the 50% discount.
• The New Start Program can help customers pay their past due balance in as little as 12 months. If customers make their monthly payments on time, we will subtract some of what is owed each month. (For example, if a customer’s budget payment amount is set at $150 per month and their past due balance is $1,200, for every month they make the required $150 payment towards their bill, we will reduce the past-due balance by $100.) 
• Budget Billing helps avoid seasonal spikes on a customer’s energy bill by letting them pay a fixed amount each month based on their average annual usage.
• Flexible Payment Plans are available to all customers to help pay their past-due balance over a period of time.
• The Matching Payment Program can lower the amount customers owe on energy bills. For every dollar they pay and every dollar they receive from the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program, we will subtract a dollar from the amount owed.

Eversource is encouraging all customers to contact the energy company at Eversource.com/Billhelp or 800-286-2828 to find out if one of these programs could be beneficial.

Of note: State regulations are being updated to enable customers with a hardship status on their account to switch to a third-party supplier beginning early next year. The energy company is also working with state regulators and evaluating the system changes needed to enable hardship customers to choose a third-party supplier and also receive the Low-Income Discount Rate. Customers can opt out of financial hardship or medical protection status in order to enroll with a supplier before January 1 by completing a form at Eversource.com/supplier.