Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Energy Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rep. Buckby criticizes expansion of public benefits charge, urges audit of energy programs
Summary
Rep. Buckby said the public benefits charge on utility bills has grown beyond its original intent, shifting costs onto renters and others; he urged auditing of programs (heat pump rebates, solar incentives) and said the charge likely will persist in some form while calling for budgeted solutions for pandemic-era costs tied to utilities.
State Rep. Bill Buckby said the public benefits charge that appears on residents' energy bills has expanded in scope and shifted costs onto consumers who cannot access the rebates or installations it funds.
"If you're renting and you pay the electric bill, you're paying for someone else's rebate," Buckby said, noting that roughly 38% of Connecticut residents rent and cannot install measures like heat pumps. He said programs that subsidize installations (solar, heat pumps, EV chargers) should be audited to see what delivers value and what should be funded from the budget rather than a universal surcharge.
Buckby defended program intent that protects low-income residents from utility shutoffs but criticized the way pandemic-era policies and subsequent billing changes were folded into the public benefits charge rather than the state operating budget. He said Eversource (the region's utility) collects returns primarily from capital investments and that public frustration with the company is understandable but distinct from how the public benefits charge is structured.
Why it matters: The public benefits charge is paid by all ratepayers; if programs funded by the charge largely benefit homeowners who can access rebates while renters and others continue to pay, the charge raises equity concerns.
What Buckby proposed: An audit of public-benefits programs to identify effective measures and those that should be budgeted directly; he said he does not expect the charge to disappear but wants clearer budgeting for pandemic-related liabilities.
Attribution: Comments came during a New Milford livestream in which Buckby described the charge's effects and urged program evaluation.
