Jaws hit the floor across the state when residents opened their electric bills this month. The Public Utility Regulatory Authority (PURA) commissioners voted for a 19 percent increase to the “Public Benefits Charge” starting July 1 that left ratepayers with sticker shock. The worst part is that another increase is yet to come in September.

PURA Chairwoman Marissa Gillett proposed a roll-out plan for the increase over a two-three-year period. However, her fellow commissioners voted 2-1 against the roll-out and opted for this ten-month increase. The next increase is coming to ratepayers as the “Renewable Energy Investment Charge” to support electric vehicle infrastructure.

The 19 percent hike is being tacked onto ratepayers’ “Public Benefits Charge,” which, thanks to a bill passed last October that requires electric distribution companies to design their bills for ease of understanding, is spelled out for consumers. Part of the outrage consumers are feeling is due to the “systems benefit charge.” The SBC includes public education, financial assistance, and medical hardship programs that were implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. The spike in public benefits is also due to other sources of financial strain, such as the Millstone Agreement from 2019.

Due to the four-year moratorium on electric bills during the pandemic, Eversource is now looking to recover upwards of $200 million. Instead of this moratorium cost being allocated through American Relief Plan Act funds, or the cost being factored into the state budget, it is being passed off to the ratepayers, regardless of their paid bills during the pandemic.

Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding explained, “We had over $300 million in unallocated ARPA [funds]. We actually had more than enough money, we could have used just half of the ARPA funds frankly … and utilized it strictly towards the moratorium.”

He continued, saying, “You know, utilization of the ARPA funds to pay off this moratorium would have made perfect, logical sense. It would have helped address some of the sticker shock that our constituents unfortunately are having to work with right now.”

Now, the state has roughly $40 million in ARPA funds, which is not enough to offset these costs ratepayers are now paying.

Harding explained another option the legislature could take. “We do have a surplus this year that just got certified this previous fiscal year … So we could look and utilize the $40 million in unallocated ARPA and then potentially about $160 million or so of the surplus. Return that money back to the ratepayers, back to the taxpayers of the state, and help them mitigate this exponentially rising Eversource bill.”

“People are upset. They feel that this process was not transparent, was not respectful of the very people who had to foot the bill. We need to go back into special session to show that we are hearing them loud and clear,” Senator Tony Hwang said. Hwang wants to assure readers he is listening and intends to do something about it. Both Hwang and Harding repeated multiple times that the state needs to call a special session, and soon.

Robert Gaines, a Newtown resident, said, “I applaud the concept of the state spreading the cost of helping other less fortunate families during the pandemic in keeping their electricity on, a very admirable cause. However, what I do not agree with is the state allowing Eversource to spread this additional financial burden among families who today are all adversely impacted with significantly higher food, gas, housing and general living cost.” Read more reader responses here.

Harding echoes this point, “There should have been more transparency surrounding the moratorium extensions. As I said from the beginning, we all did agree with it … during the peak of COVID.”

“It was important because we did not know what was happening … No doubt, I think it was unified in regards to providing this kind of support,” Hwang said.

Harding and Hwang are putting pressure on the governor to call a special session to address this issue and provide immediate relief to the ratepayers. There is no reason why these “public benefits” cannot come from either the state’s surplus or the ARPA funds, as ARPA funds were federally provided to support those facing financial hardships during the pandemic.

Hwang stated that “budgeting is about priorities. We should have everybody at the table.”

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Reporter Sam Cross can be reached at sam@thebee.com.