Watch | ‘Legislation takes aim at ‘extra’ charges on your electric bill’ (NBC CT)

January 18, 2025

As published by NBC Connecticut:

So many people around Connecticut are looking for ways to bring down their monthly electric bill, and now that we’re in a new legislative session, so are lawmakers in Hartford.

Legislation has been rolling out with ideas and plans, including SB 598, “an act prohibiting electric distribution companies from collecting fees other than fees for the purchase or delivery of electricity.”

“I just don’t get it, I honestly don’t get it, I don’t. And the explanation don’t make sense to me,” Igor Boechenkov, of Newington, said when asked about his latest bill and an explanation offered to him by his local lawmaker.

Some describe opening their bills like a lingering injury.

“At this point, every time I open it kind of hurts, a little bit, but like any type of chronic pain, you kind of get used to it,” Charles Sempere said.

Sky high bills remain top of mind for residents, and now that the session has kicked off, they are bending the ears of their local lawmakers when and if they can.

“I reached out to one of our Congress people and he responded with a long explanation about the plant, and the bad deal they signed and everything else,” Boechenkov said.

The bills that have started to surface at the State Capitol take aim at the problem – including Senate Bill 598.

“My opinion is those things don’t belong on the bill so my bill proposal is to take that right off the bill,” Republican State Senator Rob Sampson said.

The idea of the bill, extra charges fees or taxes unrelated to the purchase or delivery of electricity shouldn’t be on your bill.

“We should be, number one, only focused on only charging the customer for the electricity and nothing else as a primary function of state government,” Sampson said.

Sampson introduced the bill. He said this is only the first step, and a small part of the larger Republican caucuses plan to attempt changes for customers when it comes to energy costs.

Once the fees are gone, he said there needs to be an honest conversation around electricity costs.

His bill joins a slew of legislation targeting the same issue of high bill costs.

On Thursday, Senate Democrats opened up a proposal aimed at lower costs by focusing on increasing the supply of electricity and keeping customers the main focus of regulators. Their legislation is described as an open invitation for ideas.

“I’m open to all reasonable conversations that make sense, that are not political statements,” Senator Norm Needleman said on Thursday.

Talking to customers though, they just want relief. So when they flick on the lights, it doesn’t shock their wallets.

“I think that’s great, especially this day in age, you have a ton of fees attached to everything, it would be great to see just one price and have it make sense,” Sempere said.

We reached out to Eversource for their thoughts on the legislation, but they couldn’t get us a comment Friday night.

Avangrid, United Illuminating’s parent company, hasn’t responded to our inquiry yet.