Eversource electric rates expected to increase in 2026. Here's why.

A majority of Eversource Energy's residential electric customers can expect to pay more for their power supply over the first six months of 2026.

Officials with Connecticut's largest electric utility said Monday they expect electric rates for standard service customers will increase by 13% during the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year. Jaime Ratliff, a company spokeswoman, said that translates into an additional $10 per month on the supply portion of Eversource residential customers' bills.

The price of electricity that Eversource purchases on behalf of customers is expected to increase starting Jan. 1 to 12.64 cents per kilowatt hour, compared to last winter’s rate of 11.19 cents per kilowatt hour. The average Eversource residential customer uses 700 kilowatt hours per month, Ratliff said.

When Connecticut's electric industry underwent restructuring in 2000, electric distribution companies were no longer allowed to generate their own electricity and were required to purchase power for customers who did not want to buy it from third-party suppliers.

As of September 2025, 83.5% of Eversource's residential customers, or 994,672, were on standard service, while 196,849 purchased electricity from third-party providers.

The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority is expected to certify Eversource's standard service rates in the next few weeks, Ratliff said. The standard service rate is determined through a prescribed regulatory process overseen by PURA in coordination with utilities and the Office of Consumer Counsel, she said.

The standard service rates for Connecticut's other large electric distribution utility, The United Illuminating Co., weren't immediately available Monday.

The price for standard service energy supply changes twice a year, on Jan. 1 and July 1. The distribution companies are not allowed to make any profit on the energy they procure for standard service customers.

Standard supply rates typically increase in winter due to increased demand and limited natural gas supply, which is heavily relied upon for both electricity generation and heating.

Ratliff said residential customers can take control of their energy supply costs by shopping for competitive rates at EnergizeCT.com.

Eversource, headquartered in Hartford and Boston, has 1.3 million customers in 157 Connecticut cities and towns.