Donald E. Williams, Jr.

Families and Businesses Missing Out on Millions in Savings on Electric Bills

Senators Williams and Fonfara: Monthly savings can help families pay the bills and businesses make payroll

State Senate President Pro Tempore Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) and Senator John W. Fonfara (D-Hartford), co-chair of the General Assembly’s Energy & Technology committee, joined with Connecticut electric suppliers and private electric customers today to detail a commonly missed opportunity for Connecticut residents and businesses to save money on their utility bills.

The news conference was held at Trumpf Inc. — a large manufacturer in Farmington — which has saved tens of thousands of dollars in electric costs. A business executive from Ashcroft Inc. in Stratford also attended the news conference and spoke about his company’s efforts to lower its electric bills.

“Unfortunately, many families and businesses in Connecticut are missing out on real opportunities to reduce their electric bills,” said Senator Williams. “For example, only 17 percent of Connecticut electric ratepayers have chosen a competitive electric supplier since the legislature took steps to make this a truly viable option a few years ago. We want people to know there are ways they can immediately lower their bills.”

“For many households, choosing a new electric supplier can result in savings of up to $5-10 dollars a month,” said Senator Fonfara. “For homes with electric heat in the winter or air conditioning in the summer, the savings can be even higher.”

Doug Devnew — Vice President of Trumpf — said, “In late 2006, TRUMPF entered into a three-year contract with a third party for generation of electricity. As a result, we experienced savings of approximately $150,000 over the course of the first two years. In 2009, with the decline in energy prices due to the recession, we actually paid a little more than we would have otherwise. But we took advantage of this drop in pricing and went out to bid, and we were able to lock in rates for the next three years. This type of flexibility, which has allowed us to exercise some control over our energy costs, has had a positive impact on TRUMPF’s budget. I would encourage businesses of all sizes to investigate this avenue as a potential for cost savings.”

“My company has been able to manage energy costs better and more efficiently by working in the competitive market with retail choices,” said John Garvin — facilities manager at Ashcroft Inc. in Stratford. “It is very beneficial to the survival of our company and its employees during the economic downturn that we have a broader venue of choices.”

According to the state Department of Public Utility Control, at the end of November 2009, only 17 percent (or 259,885) of Connecticut's residential and commercial customers had chosen their own electric supplier. If all 1,387,441 Connecticut customers switched they would save over $87 million this year on their electric bills.

The ability for electric ratepayers to choose a new supplier was greatly enhanced following the passage of Public Act 07-242 in 2007, with the leadership of Senator Fonfara and legislative Democrats. The act required Connecticut electric companies to provide information about competitive suppliers to their customers. Anyone who is interested should visit www.ctenergyinfo.com for more information.

Sample: Comparison of Generation Generation Service Charges

The legislation also made many other changes to the state’s energy laws, providing funding for electricity conservation and clean energy initiatives, along with tax incentives and other programs to promote energy efficiency and renewable sources of energy.

The Senate Democrats’ Web Page has many with energy saving tips: ../Energy.html