3 Examples of Lowering Fixed Charges for Q2 2018

• Connecticut

  • Eversource rate case settlement lowered its fixed charge from $19.25/month to $9.21/month
  • Result of a 2015 legislative change:
    • “a new statutory definition of what a fixed charge should be: the fixed costs, operations and maintenance expenses that are directly related to metering, billing, service connections and customer service.”

• New York

  • settlement of Central Hudson’s 2017 GRC, the utility’s fixed charge will drop from $24/month in 2019 to $19.50/month in 2021
  • How did it happen? 100 municipalities banded together and said no settlement without lowering fixed charges

• Colorado

  • Black Hills Energy (BHE) request for a fixed charge increase from $16.50/month to $20.13/month was declined and instead teh PUC recommended lowering it to $8.77/month
  • How did it happen?
    • The regulators said that the method of calculation used did not fully support the state’s public policy goals

  Utility Dive | Are regulators starting to rethink fixed charges?