Couple’s Eversource Bill Nightmare: $400 To Over $1,000

GUILFORD, CT — Joan Francis and her husband, David, are retired. The Guilford couple run their air conditioner at 76 degrees. They turn all the lights out in their house, except for the room they are in. So they were shocked when they got last month’s Eversource bill asking for more than $900.

They paid. What choice did they have?

Then, right after Tropical Storm Isaias knocked out power for days, the new bill came. It was $1,053.98.

“Are we the only ones having a heart attack when opening an Eversource bill?” Joan told Patch, saying the couple nearly collapsed when they saw the bill.

The couple use zone heating and cooling. They keep the thermostat high in the summer and low in the winter to save money. Their highest bill, from the summer of 2019, was almost $400. That led them to be far more mindful about making sure to turn off lights and appliances, and to set thermostats to 76 degrees.

“We were upset,” Joan told Patch. “So we adjusted.”

But now, with a bill that is more than double their highest bill last summer, they’re worried and wondering, “What do we do?”

Their frustration is echoed by their local legislator.

“I am beyond frustrated that Eversource, despite being ordered to suspend their July rate, went ahead and billed my constituents a second month at the same outrageous July rate on the technicality that they had already read their customers' meters prior to receiving the suspension order,” Rep. Sean Scanlon told Patch. “Give me a break.”

The utility in July “inexplicably jacked up their customers rates with no credible explanation and then kept most of Connecticut in the dark for a week due to their poor planning and incompetent response,” Scanlon said.

A Change.org petition with more than 100,000 signatures calls out the utility for delivery charges “three times” that of usage charges.

“Residents have been abused by the delivery charges that Eversource is allowed to charge,” the petition reads. “It’s time to take a stand and let our legislators hear the people’s voice and finally get something done once and for all. Delivery charges should never be three times the usage. Let them hear our voices.”

Scanlon called Eversource “tone-deaf for doubling down on the July rate simply because they can is the last straw and speaks to the fact that we simply cannot count on them to do right by the people of Connecticut.”

Joan and David Francis want answers. They cannot afford a $1,000 electric bill, especially after a power outage. Thousands of Guilford Eversource customers were without power for days after Tropical Storm Isaias.

“We cannot afford these outrageous prices,” she said. “And after a week of no power, it's even harder to take.”

Scanlon, a Democrat who represents Guilford and Branford, said the state “must hold Eversource accountable.”

“I'm glad to say we will be in a few weeks with the passage of the ‘Take Back Our Grid’ Act,” he said, referring to a measure “designed to ensure Connecticut's public utilities are actually held accountable to the public.”

“It’s past time for the power to be back in the hands of the people and not a company that no longer seems to care about the customers they serve and the tremendous burden they have put on them in the last few weeks,” Scanlon said.

Meanwhile, the Francises’ $1,053.98 Eversource bill is due.

Eversource spokesperson Tricia Taskey Modifica sent Patch the following statement in response to a request for comment:

"We truly understand and share the concerns customers are expressing regarding recent higher than normal bills and recognize it represents an unexpected and distressing increase during an already challenging time. We encourage any customer who needs help with their bill to call us so a customer care representative can work with them one-on-one to see what payment plans would be best for them. We’re currently offering one of the most flexible payment plans in our history. Customers can opt in to a payment plan that allows up to 24-months to pay their bills with no interest and no fees. Being on a payment plan removes the risk of service disconnection. In addition, there are several state and federal payment assistance programs available. Customers who needs assistance with their bill to contact us at 800-286-2000."