Burlington Electric seeks 4.5% rate increase; board recommends filing with PUC

The Board of Finance on May 19 voted to recommend that the City Council authorize the general manager of Burlington Electric Department (BED) to file tariff amendments with the Vermont Public Utility Commission seeking a 4.5% rate increase on bills rendered on or after Sept. 1, 2025.

BED staff said their updated projection of known and measurable factors would justify a 6.4% increase but the utility is requesting a 4.5% increase to reduce rate pressure on customers. "We're only asking, of course, for the 4.5 percent because we're trying as best we can to keep rate pressure low for customers," a BED representative said. The department also plans to expand its energy assistance program to reach more customers, including shelters that serve people experiencing homelessness.

BED briefed the board on relative rates, saying Burlington’s residential rates are below both the New England and Vermont averages; commercial and industrial rates are around the Vermont average and below the New England average. The utility cited strong reliability metrics—about one outage per year with an average duration of an hour or less—and said those reliability measures are a key customer priority.

If the council approves the recommendation, BED intends to file with the Vermont PUC in June. The department said customers would first see a 4.5% surcharge on bills rendered in September; the PUC rate-case review could take six to nine months, meaning the surcharge may later be incorporated into the base rate at a later date.

The board approved the motion to recommend filing the tariff amendments unanimously.