Connecticut residents continue to speak out against Eversource’s proposed 19 percent rate hike through a petition on Vernon’s website.
AARP Connecticut is also conducting a petition drive opposing the rate hike request. You can learn more about that by visiting: https://states.aarp.org/connecticut/aarp-connecticut-urges-pura-to-deny-eversource-united-illuminating-rate-increase-requests (AARP Connecticut Urges PURA to Deny Eversource & United Illuminating Rate Increase Requests)
More than 10,000 people across the state of Connecticut have signed both petitions so far. Vernon’s petition will be forwarded to the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, which is examining the evidence concerning Eversource’s rate hike request and will decide whether the request is reasonable.
Along with their signatures, people from across Connecticut have written messages about how a 19 percent increase will affect them. People from Vernon, Southington, Waterbury, Southbury, Prospect, West Hartford, Ellington, Newtown, Avon and more describe their struggles to pay existing electric bills with no flexibility left in their monthly budgets.
“I’m sick of living in the dark to avoid high utility bills,” one signer from Southington wrote on Vernon’s petition. “Higher rates will most likely cause me to stop using air conditioning, which will put me at risk for heat stroke or death.”
Another signer from Vernon said he is a senior with limited income. “Food, gas and utilities leave me short every month. Please don’t raise it. Pretty soon I’ll be homeless at 74 years old.”
Another signer from Southington wrote that she has unplugged every device in her house not used on a daily basis and lights her home at night with only two 7-watt bulbs. “Will I need to unplug the stove or refrigerator next to keep my bill low? Will I chance dying in the summer months because I have to avoid using air conditioning to keep my bill affordable?”
Vernon Mayor Dan Champagne said people have made it clear that they cannot afford a 19 percent rate hike.
“These messages are heart-breaking and drive home the difficult situation so many Connecticut residents are in,” Mayor Champagne said. “Here in Vernon we are doing our best to stand up for our residents and people across Connecticut. I hope the regulators at PURA stand up for all of us.”
Eversource blames legislative mandates and unpaid bills for its need to raise rates.
“How does increasing electric bills by 19 percent address the problem of people not paying their bills?” Vernon Town Administrator and Emergency & Risk Management Director said. “This is not a political issue. In our society, electricity is a basic human need. For some people, having electricity is a matter of life or death.”
“Regardless of Eversource’s reasoning, a simple fact remains: Eversource has a voracious appetite for ratepayers’ dollars and the result is record profits and out-of-control executive pay,” Purcaro said. “It takes a lot of people on Social Security and small pensions to generate the kind of revenue that allows Eversource to give its executives millions of dollars in compensation. How much is enough? How much can rate payers bear?”
The Town of Vernon takes PURA at its word that comments from every signer of our petition will be read by regulators, Purcaro said. That’s why we made it easy for people to make their views known and their voices heard.
“All you have to do is go to our website, and click on the petition icon that pops up,” Purcaro said. “Our petition is open to everyone. The more signatures we have, the better. We need to make it clear to PURA that Eversource’s request is not affordable to working people.”
In addition to signing our petition, we urge Eversource customers to voice their opinions to their state legislators and the governor. In addition to signing our petition, we urge Eversource customers to voice their opinions to their state legislators and the governor. To reach your state legislator, please visit: https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/cgafindleg.asp
