George Woodruff: Expensive energy rates are because of middleman company

In August 2022, the Public Service Company of New Hampshire d/b/a Eversource Energy increased the electrical service rate for residential up 111.5%. This increase has been approved by the NHPUC (DE22-021). The PUC, DOE and OCA did investigate the request very well.

Eversource sold its hydroelectric power plants to Hull Street Energy LLC. and fossil fuel plants to Granite Shore Power LLC. So Eversource needs to purchase electrical power through a wholesale method.

According to DE 17-124 Eversource Application 10-12-17:

"Q: Will the sale of PSNH’s generation assets benefit customers?

A: Yes, it will. These sales and the issuance of Rate Reduction Bonds will produce benefits to customers."

Yeah, right.

The NHPUC ordered the power supply agreements entered between Eversource and NextEra Energy Marketing, LLC, Constellation Energy Generation, LLC, and H.Q. Energy Services (U.S.) Inc. to provide power supply requirements for the residentials for the six-month period beginning Feb. 1, 2023.

NHPUC 22-021 Order 26,747 authorized Eversource to recover the costs of power supply through energy service rates between Feb. 1, 2023, and July 31, 2023. A six-month energy service rate of 20.221 cents per kWh for Eversource’s customers.

July of 2022, the rate was $0.10669. Now, my charge rate is $0.22566. At 650kWh, my supplier energy charge in 2022 equals $69.35, now $146.70. The rate will change to $0.20221, equaling $131.44 for supplier energy charge. Instead of a 111.5% increase in 2022, a 90% increase. My highest usage, about 1252 kWh., today’s rate equals $282.53. That does not include the delivery charges of over $100.

We are dependent on a middleman company buying us electricity from outside sources. New Hampshire needs to find its own energy source. I am 68 years old and do not meet the low-income programs.

George Woodruff

Belmont