Thanks to the Ledger-Transcript for Amanda Gokee’s helpful article (July 12), “How to shop for cheaper electricity in Granite State.”
Here is an additional suggestion, focused on the Monadnock region. Several Monadnock municipalities, including Cheshire County, Keene, Swanzey, Marlborough, Harrisville, Peterborough and Wilton, are developing community power plans that will offer electric rates lower than the Eversource default, but these plans are not yet available. They are waiting for the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission and the Legislature to finalize rules for their operation.
Fortunately, Monadnock region residents don’t need to wait if they wish to avoid the rate-doubling that will affect all customers on the Eversource default plan in August.
If you want to avoid that rate increase, I recommend visiting energy.nh.gov/engyapps/ceps/shop.aspx. Click on “Residential.” Then click on “Eversource.” You will see offers from all companies authorized to sell electricity to Eversource customers. For each offer, you will see the name and contact information for the supplier, the duration of the contract, the rate being offered, the proportion of renewable energy in the mix, whether the pricing is fixed or variable and whether there is a cancellation fee. With one exception, every rate being offered is lower than the new Eversource rate (22 cents/kWh).
After you’ve found the rate and contract duration that most pleases you, click the “Sign Up!” button for easy transfer out of the Eversource default plan and into the new plan of your choice.
I recommend that you choose a plan that does not have a cancellation fee. That way, when your municipality’s community power plan becomes available, you’ll have the option of switching to that plan without cost, if you wish to do so.
Joel Huberman
Peterborough