Bridgeport, CT – Mayor Ganim issued a statement opposing the United Illuminating proposed rate increase:

“Dear Chairman Gillett,

I am writing in my capacity as Mayor of the City of Bridgeport to vehemently oppose the recent rate increase proposal from United Illuminating Co, which will impact over 150,000 Bridgeport residents.

The average cost of a monthly UI bill is currently $275, and this proposed increase will add an additional monthly charge of twenty-five to thirty dollars. While some communities in UI’s service area may be able to afford the continuously increasing rates, working families in Bridgeport cannot. The median household income in Bridgeport is $54,400 and many families are spending over fifty percent of their income on housing security. Increasing utility rates by 9% in one year is incredibly burdensome and seemingly in bad faith. Remember, this is only one utility bill, with others also increasing due to infrastructure upgrade demands of their own. 

We cannot forget that we are in the midst of a housing crisis which will only get worse until more equitable housing opportunities are built throughout the state. Families are being priced out of their homes due to increased cost of living, which includes overburdensome utilities. This is exacerbated by homes that are in dire need of weatherization and energy efficiency upgrades. Yet residents cannot afford to upgrade their own properties and appliances when the cost of living continues to increase well beyond wages. 

United Illuminating is promoting this rate increase as support for infrastructure projects that will be located in and serve disadvantaged communities. While this may be true, this progress must not be paid for on the backs of these very same communities. If everyone is expected to tighten the proverbial purse strings, then that should include the massive profits that United Illuminating Co. and global goliath parent company Avangrid amass annually. 

I respectfully request that PURA denies this rate increase proposal by United Illuminating Co.”