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January 24, 2020

Amid cold winter temperatures, utilities launch outreach to ID hardship customers

HBJ file photo A utility crew works on a power line.
By Matt Pilon

The state’s two public utility companies will host a series of outreach events over the next month that aim to inform ratepayers about existing hardship programs that may be underutilized.

The 10 events, including a Feb. 12 event in Hartford, come at the behest of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, which is in the midst of a major grid-modernization planning effort, one component of which is energy affordability for consumers.

One of the very first actions to come out of the effort was a December order that Eversource and United Illuminating take immediate action to ensure ratepayers who are struggling financially are aware they are eligible for hardship programs, before their electricity or heat are shut off.

PURA said it learned during a November energy-affordability forum that identifying hardship customers who would be eligible for debt forgiveness and other programs is a “key barrier” to making energy more affordable in the state.

Data suggest that the utilities have not identified the total population of accounts within their customer bases that would be eligible for hardship status, PURA said

The utilities have said they’re on board with the improvement effort.

“Eversource is a customer-focused company that fully supports additional, effective outreach efforts and looks forward to continuing to work cooperatively with PURA, the Connecticut Department of Social Services, community action agencies, and other health and human services organizations to ensure our most vulnerable customers are aware of existing available services,” Eversource wrote in a December filing to PURA.

The newly scheduled outreach events can be viewed here.

The Hartford meeting is on Feb. 12 at 5 p.m. at Community Renewal Team’s offices at 555 Windsor St.

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