Emera Maine Electric Bills to Rise to Cover Efficiency Programs

Emera Maine customers in northern and central Maine will see a small rise in the part of their bill that supports energy efficiency programs.

Kendra Overlock, Customer Initiatives Manager at Emera Maine, says conservation rates will increase on December 1, with a typical residential customer using 500 kilowatt hours seeing a bill increase of about $1.25 per month.

Overlock says part of the funding for Efficiency Maine comes from electric utility customers. Emera Maine collects those funds through the conservation charge included in delivery rates. Programs offered by Efficiency Maine include rebates on heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, and weatherization, saving Mainers on their overall energy costs. An estimated 260,000 customers in Maine benefited from energy efficiency rebates last year.

In the Bangor Hydro District, customers will see the change reflected in conservation on the Emera Maine delivery portion of the bill. Maine Public Service District customers in northern Maine will see this change reflected in the distribution rate. Current rate schedules can be viewed at the Emera website.