Impact of Jan. 1 Rate Change Is 22 Cents per month by NHEC | Jan 2, 2019 | UncategorizedRate changes effective with bills rendered starting January 1, 2019 will result in an overall bill increase of 0.2%, or $0.22 per month, for a typical residential member using NHEC’s Co-op Power energy service. The bill increase is the net result of two charges on your bill, the System Benefit Charge and the Consumption Tax. The System Benefit Charge, a per kWh charge mandated by the State of New Hampshire, funds energy efficiency programs and income qualified bill paying assistance. The Energy Efficiency component of the System Benefits Charge will increase from $0.00275 to $0.00373 per kWh. The Consumption Tax was a $0.00055 kWh charge mandated by the State of New Hampshire and pursuant to House Bill 517 being signed into law in 2017, the Consumption Tax has been repealed effective January 1, 2019. In addition, two non-financial changes will be made to members’ bills on January 1, 2019. The $0.00027 per kWh Business Enterprise Tax charge will now be bundled into the Distribution Delivery kWh Charge. In addition, members with rate schedules ending in ‘H,’ (e.g. ‘BH’, ‘LBH’), will be moved to the corresponding default primary rate schedules (e.g. ‘B’, ‘LB’). There will be no financial impact resulting from these presentation-only changes.
NHEC Website Unavailable December 20 from 7:30 – 8 p.m. by NHEC | Dec 20, 2018 | UncategorizedThe NHEC website will be unavailable for approximately 30 minutes tonight (December 20) from 7:30 to 8:00 p.m. so that our website host can perform necessary server maintenance. This maintenance will be postponed if significant power outages are occurring at the time. Members will still be able to contact NHEC by phone to pay bills or report an outage by calling 1-800-698-2007 (bill pay), or 1-800-343-6432 (outage). We apologize for the inconvenience.
OUTAGE UPDATE 11/29/18; 9 A.M. by NHEC | Nov 27, 2018 | UncategorizedOUTAGE UPDATE 11/29/18 9 A.M. Line crews restored power to approximately 1,000 members overnight and will spend the day restoring dozens of smaller outages as we work to recover from the November 26-27 snow storm. Approximately 1,400 members were without power at the time of this update, the majority of whom were located in western and central parts of the state. At the height of the storm, more than 20,000 members had lost power. Crews have restored nearly 600 outages since Monday night. Additional contract crews have joined the restoration effort today. Work will focus primarily on the towns served by NHEC’s Sunapee district, however there are crews working statewide to restore all open outages. The largest remaining outages are affecting members in Lempster (259), Unity (252), Acworth (205), Grafton (136) and Effingham (123). We expect to be substantially restored by 10 p.m. However, it is possible that new outages will occur today as gusty winds knock heavy snow from trees and branches, causing them to make contact with power lines. We will update our assessment later this afternoon if new outages cause a delay in the restoration estimates. OUTAGE UPDATE 11/28/18 5 P.M. Power restoration work will continue through the night, with fresh crews coming on at 10 p.m. More than 3,000 members have been restored today. At the time of this update, approximately 2,300 members remained without power. Heavy wet snow, in some cases more than a foot deep, knocked out power to more than 20,000 Co-op members at the height of the storm. Work will continue through the night and it’s possible your power will be restored before daybreak, however if you do not have power by 10 p.m. tonight you should expect to remain without power overnight. We do not have restoration times for each outage, so we advise you to seek shelter now if you cannot be without power overnight. Members with individual outages or who are part of smaller outages affecting 10 or fewer members are the most likely see their power restored on Thursday. Thank you for your patience. We are working as quickly as possible to recover from this damaging storm. This will be the last regular update of the day. OUTAGE UPDATE 11/28/18 2 P.M. NHEC and contract crews have restored power to 2,000 members since this morning and are well on their way to restoring most members by tonight at 10 p.m. Crews have been focused today on some of the hardest-hit areas with larger outages affecting members in Grafton, Unity, Lempster, Enfield, Easton, Springfield, Goshen and Freedom. Work is also ongoing in some Connecticut River Valley towns that saw an additional 6-8 inches of heavy wet snow last night. We expect to be at least 90% restored by 10 p.m. tonight, with full restoration expected sometime tomorrow. Unfortunately we are unable to provide estimated restoration times for each individual outage, but our crews are committed to getting everyone back on as soon as possible. If you are without power as of 10 p.m. tonight, you should expect to remain without power overnight. If you have not reported your outage or you experience a new outage, please call 1-800-343-6432. OUTAGE UPDATE 11/28/18 8 A.M. Work continues today to restore power to approximately 5,000 NHEC members who remain without power following yesterday’s snow storm. NHEC line crews from fully restored areas have been redeployed to help the restoration effort in the towns served by our Sunapee, Ossipee, Plymouth/Lisbon and Andover districts. With better weather predicted for today, NHEC expects to be at least 90% restored by 10 p.m. tonight. It is likely that numerous small, scattered outages will not be restored until Thursday 11/29. This storm has damaged dozens of individual service lines to members’ homes, which adds to the time needed for full restoration. It has also caused a high number of repeat outages – situations where crews have to return to the same area to repair new damage. These numbers tell that story: 20,000 members lost power at the height of this storm, but NHEC has restored a total of 51,000 members. We thank you for your continued patience and your many expressions of support for our people as we work as quickly as possible to restore power. OUTAGE UPDATE 11/27/18 10 P.M. NHEC crews are continuing to restore power following today’s snow storm. Approximately 5,000 members have been restored since the 5 pm update, but 4,800 members are still without power. While some crews are on mandatory rest following a 24-hour shift, fresh crews are working through the night to restore power. If you are without power at this time you should expect to remain without power overnight. We advise you to seek shelter elsewhere if you cannot be without power overnight. This storm has damaged dozens of individual service wires and full restoration is not expected until Thursday. However, we expect the large majority of members who are still without power at this time to be restored on Wednesday. Our Control Center is staffed 24 hours a day. Please report outages or electrical emergencies to 1-800-343-6432. Thank you. OUTAGE UPDATE 11/27/18 5 P.M. After working a 24-hour shift, some line crews will be sent home for mandatory rest at 10 p.m. tonight, however NHEC will have other crews working overnight to restore power to as many members as possible. A full complement of crews will be back at work Wednesday morning at 6. Restoration progress has been slowed today by the hundreds of outages that occurred overnight and into today. Crews have restored power in some locations today, only to return hours later to find another tree or limb on the same line. Work will continue through the night, but if you do not have power by 10 p.m. tonight you should expect to remain without power overnight. We expect most members to be restored by Wednesday night (11/28), however it’s likely that members who are part of smaller, scattered outages will not be restored until Thursday. We know it can be unnerving to be without power as darkness falls and we apologize for the inconvenience. We advise you to seek shelter elsewhere if you cannot be without power overnight. Our Control Center is staffed 24 hours a day. Please call 1-800-343-6432 anytime to report an outage or electrical emergency such as wires down or trees on wires. Thank you for your patience and support of our employees who are working to restore power. OUTAGE UPDATE 11/27/18 2 P.M. Outages peaked early this morning at about 20,000 members. Since then, NHEC and contract crews have restored power to more than 11,000 members affected by this fall snowstorm. At the time of this update, approximately 8,800 members remained without power. As expected, outages are continuing to occur even as crews are restoring power. While we expect the majority of members to be restored by 10 p.m. tonight, it is likely that several thousand members will remain without power until tomorrow and perhaps into Thursday. We are unable to say with certainty what towns or areas will be restored by tonight, as new outages are still occurring. This storm has caused dozens of outages affecting 50 or fewer members, many of which are impacting only one member. Crews are focused now on the largest outages, but that many individual outages will take considerable time to restore fully. If you have not reported your outage, or did so early this morning or overnight, please call us at 1-800-343-6432 to make sure we are aware of your outage. Thank you and please bear with us while we work as quickly as we can to restore power! OUTAGE UPDATE 11/27/18 10 A.M. Heavy, wet snow has caused outages that are currently affecting approximately 12,000 NHEC members in more than 60 towns. The hardest-hit locations include areas that recorded the highest snow totals for this storm – Conway and central New Hampshire. NHEC and contract crews have been working through the night to keep up with hundreds of reports of trees and limbs on power lines. Crews will be working throughout the day and into the night to restore power. We expect new outages to occur throughout the day as branches shed snow, but at this time we expect the majority of members to be restored by tonight. It is likely that some areas will not be restored until tomorrow. We do not have restoration times available by town as new outages are still occurring and some areas remain inaccessible because of road closures. Thanks for your patience as we work to recover from this damaging storm! Report an Outage: 800-343-6432.
Candidates wanted for nominating committee by NHEC | Oct 30, 2018 | UncategorizedNew Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) is seeking members interested in serving on the Nominating Committee, which is responsible for selecting candidates to stand for election to NHEC’s Board of Directors. NHEC is a member-owned electric distribution cooperative that is governed by a Board of Directors. The Nominating Committee is responsible for reviewing the applications of individuals interested in running for the Board of Directors and selecting those who will stand for election by the members. Nominating Committee members are compensated for their service and are reimbursed for their travel. The committee typically meets three to four times between mid-January and mid-March. Although not all meetings are the same length, it is likely that two or three of the meetings will be all-day meetings. In addition, committee members are expected to review candidate applications outside of the regular meeting time. Any Co-op member interested in being part of the candidate selection process for the NHEC Board of Directors is encouraged to apply for a position on the Nominating Committee. The committee will be selected by the NHEC Board of Directors in late December. For more information about applying to be considered for the Nominating Committee, contact Sharon Yeaton at 603-536-8801, or yeatons@nhec.com
Whole Village Energy Makeover Brings Everyone to the Table by NHEC | Oct 18, 2018 | UncategorizedPLYMOUTH, NH – A one-of-a-kind partnership is saving thousands in energy costs and putting food on the table – literally – at a Plymouth area homeless shelter. Extensive upgrades of the energy infrastructure at Whole Village Family Resource Center and the neighboring Bridge House shelter is projected to save up to $25,000 annually in propane and electricity costs, some of which has already been repurposed to start a nightly family-style meal for Bridge House residents and staff. “It’s done wonders for the cohesiveness of the group,” said Susan Amburg, Director of the Whole Village Family Resource Center. “You have a different relationship after you’ve sat across the table from someone.” It’s the culmination of a two-and-a-half year project that involved nearly as many partners as the number of solar panels installed on the roof of the two buildings. Local and state organizations, from the Granite United Way and NH Charitable Foundation to New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) and Plymouth Area Renewable Energy Initiative (PAREI), joined forces to identify energy-saving opportunities and create a detailed project schedule. The result has been an overall 80% reduction in annual electricity consumption. Sandra Jones, Director of PAREI and de facto project manager, said the Whole Village project was guided by a simple mantra: “Reduce Before You Produce.” Initial efforts focused on improving the energy efficiency of the buildings by retrofitting indoor and outdoor lighting with LED fixtures and timers, installing a new central air conditioning unit, reducing standby power loss, adjusting HVAC controls, and educating building occupants on behavioral changes that make more efficient use of energy. With an efficient building shell and energy systems in place, construction was completed in May 2018 on a new 33 kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic (PV) array capable of producing enough power for eight typical homes. The new array on the roof of the Whole Village building joins a 25 kW solar PV array at the Bridge House which was one of the project’s first undertakings. At Whole Village the combination of the occupant’s energy conservation, the new energy efficiency upgrades and two month old solar PV array, have resulted in an annual electricity consumption drop from 122,610 kilowatt-hours (kWh) to 47,537kWH in July of 2018. “And once the solar PV is on line for a year we expect to see their electric load at Whole Village drop to 22,200kWH annually. That’s an 82% drop”, said Sandra Jones. “The directors of both Whole Village and Bridge House came to PAREI asking for ways to reduce their energy and their costs. We made it happen one meeting, one step and one building at a time.” The majority of funding for the project came from the generosity of local and statewide businesses who purchased $321,875 in NH tax credits provided by the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA). Businesses that donate to local projects that have received a CDFA business tax credit grant can get at least 75% of that contribution back in the form of a state business tax credit. A roster of local and statewide businesses stepped up to purchase the tax credits and donate to the project. Also taking a lead role in the project was NHEC, which provided technical advice and incentives totaling more than $20,000. “The amount of staff time the Co-op dedicated to this project was so appreciated,” Amburg said.
Natural Gas Demand Driving 7% Winter Bill Increase by NHEC | Oct 17, 2018 | UncategorizedRate changes effective with bills rendered November 1, 2018 will result in an overall bill increase of 7%, or $7.04 per month, for a typical residential member using NHEC’s Co-op Power energy service. The bill increase is the net result of rate changes to two charges on your bill – Co-op Power (the actual electricity used by those members not taking energy from competitive suppliers), and the Regional Access Charge, the cost charged to all members to access the regional transmission grid in order to get energy to the NHEC distribution system. Approximately 99% of residential members take NHEC’s Co-op Power energy service. Most of these members will see an increase in the Co-op Power rate from 7.4 cents per kWh to 9.26 cents per kWh. The new Co-op Power rate is slightly higher than last year’s winter rate of 9.08 cents per kWh. The Regional Access Charge, which affects all members, is decreasing during the upcoming winter period. Most members will see a decrease from 2.9 cents per kWh to 2.5 cents per kWh. That is lower than last year’s winter period rate of 2.8 cents per kWh. The increase in the Co-op Power rate is primarily due to the expected increase in the winter price of natural gas, which is used to generate nearly half the power produced in New England. Added demand for winter heating results in higher regional natural gas costs, which adds to the cost of wholesale power. The decrease in the Regional Access Charge rate is due to a decrease in the costs to deliver energy to the NHEC distribution system. Also effective November 1, 2018 are changes to some fees for services. The changes were made to keep applicable fees in line with the cost of doing business. For a complete listing of NHEC’s rates and fees, please visit the Billing & Rates page.