Another New England-based utility company announces massive rate hike ahead of winter season

CONCORD, New Hampshire — Another New England-based utility company has announced a massive rate hike ahead of the winter season.

Unitil, a natural gas utility company that provides electric services to hundreds of thousands of customers in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine, recently requested to increase electric rates to 26 cents per kilowatt hour, the New Hampshire Bulletin reported.

The hike would mark a 160 percent increase from the current rate of 10 cents, meaning customers’ bills will increase by about 75 to 78 percent or $85 to $100, according to the report.

Unitil’s current electric rate will remain stable through November before prices change on Dec. 1.

In a video news release, Unitil’s media relations manager Alec O’Meara said, “New England is facing an energy crunch because there isn’t enough natural pipeline capacity coming to New England, which means we are competing abroad with Europe for liquified natural gas shipments.”

Earlier this month, National Grid warned that customers are expected to see a 64 percent increase in their electric bills this winter.

The utility company said the average monthly bill of one of their customers will increase from about $179 last winter to an estimated $293 this year.

The National Grid The price hike is expected to start on Nov. 1.

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