Ayotte calls on federal regulators to refund New England consumers

(The Center Square) — New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte on Monday demanded that federal regulators return more than $1.5 billion to ratepayers across New England, including $150 million to New Hampshire, in response to a report showing regional utilities have been overcharging electric customers for years.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is considering a request from regional utility companies challenging a ruling ordering them to repay ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars dating back to 2011. The panel recently determined that utilities have been overcharging customers, after taking steps to reduce their profit margins for the next several years.

“Granite Staters are paying way too much for electricity, and it’s unacceptable that utilities would attempt to block relief for ratepayers after overcharging them for more than a decade,” Ayotte said in a statement. “New Hampshire joins our fellow New England states in calling for a rejection of this effort by utilities and the r...