Connecticut Electric Bills To Fall

Connecticut Light and Power customers should see their bills fall in January, after state regulators slashed a rate and revenue request by the utility. WNPR’s Harriet Jones reports.

In a preliminary decision Monday, the Department of Public Utility Control cut a request by the utility that it be allowed to make increased revenue of almost $180 million for this year and next. The regulator instead allowed increased revenue of $99 million for the two years. In addition, CL&P had asked for a 27.5% rate increase for distribution. The DPUC also slashed that in half, reducing it to 13.9%.

CL&P, which serves 1.2 million customers, said it requested the increase to build, maintain and operate its electric distribution system. The cut to the rate request coincides with an expected decline in electric generation costs, because of falling fuel prices, and the end of debt payments relating to electric restructuring, both of which should put downward pressure on customer bills.

A spokesman for the Department of Public Utility Control says a typical residential monthly bill will fall from about $141 to about $130 in January 2011. The decisions are preliminary, and a final judgment is due June 30.

For WNPR, I'm Harriet Jones.