Rates for the upcoming winter period are increasing 9.5% over current summer rates, but are down 1.7% from last winter’s rates.

The rate changes take effect with bills rendered on or after November 1 and are the result of adjustments to two portions of your bill: the Co-op Power Charge (the cost of your actual power) and the Regional Access Charge (RAC), which is the cost NHEC pays to have electricity delivered to our distribution system. Both charges reflect NHEC’s actual costs and are “passed through” directly to members without being marked up.

For a residential member using 500 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per month, the winter rate changes will result in an overall bill increase of $9.43 (9.5%) per month over the summer period. However, the new winter rate is a decrease of $1.93 (1.7%) per month compared to last winter’s rates.

The increase in the Co-op Power Charge is primarily due to higher energy costs in winter months in New England. During the winter, the demand for natural gas as a heating fuel increases. Since natural gas is used to generate much of the electricity in New England, the increased demand for natural gas to heat homes and businesses causes the price of electricity to increase. The increase in the Regional Access Charge is primarily due to continued investment and maintenance of high voltage electrical lines by the transmission companies that own them. The Regional Access Charge also includes a credit from revenue associated with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

NHEC’s winter rates are in effect from November 1 to May 1. A complete list of NHEC rates and fees is available under the Rates and Tariffs menu at NHEC.com.