ROCKPORT — Utilities regulators from New England gathered in Maine this week to talk about the stubborn issue of affordability, particularly when it comes to electric rates.
Maine Public Utilities Commission Chairman Phil Bartlett said regulators only control about one-quarter of local electric bills, so their power is somewhat limited.
He said his office frequently hears from Mainers who are struggling with high bills.
“Everything is climbing at a time when they have higher gas prices, higher oil prices,” he said. “Everywhere they go they are seeing high prices. We know that there’s a real affordability crunch.”
Bartlett welcomed hundreds to the New England Conference of Public Utilities Commissioners in Rockport for sessions on nuclear power, clean water affordability, broadband and data centers.
At one session, Patrick Scully, who serves with Bartlett on the Maine PUC, said affordability is part of a national conversation about electric rates.
“It’s an especially relevant topic here in New England where we have the distinction of having among the highest retail electricity rates in the country,” he said.
One option for consumers is to consider “time of use rates” offered by both Central Maine Power and Versant Power, Bartlett said. Customers can sign up for the delivery rate, which charges a lower rate during off-peak hours and a higher rate during on-peak hours, according to the CMP website.
On-peak hours are 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, with all other hours considered off-peak.
“Generally speaking, customers can save money on the delivery component of the electricity bill if at least 86% of their total usage is in the off-peak period,” the CMP website indicates.
Another option is taking advantage of programs run by Efficiency Maine to make changes to reduce electric use. That can include home weatherization and switching to a heat pump water heater.
According to Efficiency Maine, the newer water heaters can save more than $500 a year in electricity.
At the conference, Ryan Wiser, a scientist with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, said 29 states have seen a reduction in retail electric prices in recent years.
But New England, California and New York have seen “stark increases,” he said.
In addition to costs associated with upgrading transmission poles and wires, major drivers are natural gas prices and state clean energy policies, Wiser said. In Maine, those policies include subsidies to entice solar companies to locate here.
Wiser said across the country, more states are seeing electric rate increases outpace the rate of inflation. In 2025, utilities nationwide sought $18 billion in rate increase requests, the highest in 40 years.
“Unfortunately, it appears at least at a national level things may get worse before they get better,” he said.