(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong released a statement regarding draft decisions issued this week by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) further decreasing authorized revenue for both Connecticut Natural Gas (CNG) and Southern Connecticut Gas (SCG).
The companies, which are owned by Avangrid, had collectively sought more than $60 million in rate increases in 2023. After reviewing the requests, PURA instead approved revenue decreases in 2024, reducing CNG’s revenue by $24 million, or approximately 5.4%, lowering customer bills by an estimated $7 to $8 per month. PURA also reduced SCG’s revenue by $11 million, or approximately 2.5%, lowering bills by about $3.50 to $4 per month. CNG had originally requested a $19.7 million increase, while SCG sought a $43 million increase.
Both companies later returned to PURA seeking higher rates. Under this week’s draft decision, PURA further reduced authorized revenue by an additional $1.8 million for CNG and $595,000 for SCG.
“CNG over-collected millions of dollars from Connecticut families, then went to PURA to ask for millions more. We combed through every cent of their applications and called out page after page of unjustified profits and unnecessary expenses. PURA was right from the start to decrease these rates, and they were right again to reject the companies’ unwarranted and unsubstantiated demands. Connecticut families pay way too much for their energy, and these decreases are finally one step in the right direction,” Attorney General Tong said.
The CNG rate decrease follows a 2023 earnings report showing the company over-collected approximately $8 million from Connecticut families and businesses. According to the Attorney General’s Office, about half of that amount was returned to customers to offset winter heating bills, while approximately $4 million was distributed to shareholders.
Following that disclosure, Attorney General Tong, Consumer Counsel Claire E. Coleman, Connecticut Industrial Energy Consumers, and the PURA Office of Education, Outreach, and Enforcement jointly petitioned PURA to hold a new rate hearing.
Assistant Attorneys General Caroline McCormack and John Wright and Deputy Associate Attorney General Michael Wertheimer are assisting in the matter.