Connecticut Electricity Rate Changes: What Changed in 2026 and What's Next

Connecticut bills fell twice in 2026: once on May 1, when the public benefits charge turned into a credit, and again on July 1, when supply rates dropped. The state’s consumer advocate says the credit is scheduled through April 30, 2027, so it should still be on October bills.

This article covers Eversource and United Illuminating (UI). It does not cover municipal utilities.

Quick Summary

July 1: Lower Supply Rates

Standard service is the default supply price for customers who have not chosen a retail supplier. It resets every six months.

• Eversource: down 1.06¢ per kWh. That is about $7 a month for a typical customer using 700 kWh.
• UI: down 1.70¢ per kWh, about $12 a month for an average customer.

Our math for Eversource: 700 kWh × $0.0106 = $7.42.

May 1: The Public Benefits Credit

The public benefits charge pays for state-mandated programs and power contracts. In April 2026 regulators approved an adjustment that turned it from a cost into a credit. Governor Ned Lamont’s office announced:

• Eversource: 4.3¢ per kWh lower, about $30 a month.
• UI: 4.9¢ per kWh lower, about $34 a month.
• Overall: residential bills down roughly 14%.

The Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC) explains the size of the swing: the charge was about 4¢ per kWh for both utilities before May 1 and is now a credit of about 1.5¢ for Eversource and about 1.3¢ for UI. OCC puts the savings at about $31 a month for Eversource and $34.15 for UI at 700 kWh, roughly 15% and 13.8% of the total bill.

The state attributed most of it to long-term contracts with the Millstone and Seabrook nuclear plants, which pay customers back when market prices are high.

How Long It Lasts

• OCC: the public benefits rates are effective May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027.
• The governor’s announcement: on bills “through at least September 2026.”
• Connecticut Mirror: the regulator, PURA, “may enact further public benefits charge adjustments in September.”

We searched for a September 2026 adjustment and found no report of one. On that basis, the credit should still be on October bills. Check the public benefits line to confirm.

Eversource has said the decrease is temporary and that customers may face higher charges once the payback period ends in 2027.

What This Means for Homeowners With Solar

We did not verify Connecticut’s current net metering or export credit rules for this article, so we give no export rates here. Ask your utility for its current solar tariff, and check how exported energy is credited before sizing a system. Fixed monthly charges are not reduced by solar.

When supply and public benefits rates fall, each kWh of solar offsets less. When they rise again, it offsets more. Our solar payback guide shows how the retail rate and the export credit change the math.

What to Check on Your Bill

1. The supply rate, and your supplier’s contract end date if you have one.
2. The public benefits line.
3. The fixed customer service charge.

For help sorting the lines on your bill, see our guide to reading your electric bill.

Limitations

Rates come from the Connecticut Mirror, the governor’s announcement and the Office of Consumer Counsel, not the utilities’ tariffs. We found no report of a September adjustment but did not check the tariff itself. January 2027 standard service rates and delivery rate cases were not researched.

Sources

• Connecticut DEEP, “Governor Lamont Announces Lower Electricity Rates in Response To Benefits Received,” 2026
• Connecticut Mirror, “Summer electric rates to drop for Eversource, UI customers,” May 15, 2026
• Connecticut Office of Consumer Counsel, rate adjustment FAQ, May 1, 2026
• Connecticut Mirror, “CT public benefits charge cut; electricity rates to fall by nearly 15%,” April 22, 2026
• Connecticut Office of Consumer Counsel, “Understand your electric bill”