AUGUSTA (NEWS CENTER Maine) - Since the wind storm in late October - we've received hundreds of comments and messages like this one:
It read, “I think [CMP] has already recovered a big chunk of [storm recovery costs] from the looks of my electric bill over the last three months!”
In other words, customers think CMP is secretly raising rates and charging them more for their electric.
CMP announced on Thursday that it is applying to the Public Utilities Commission to raise its rates come July.
For about an extra $1.30 per month, CMP says it can recover from $13 million worth of damages from the windstorm.
Many people aren't buying it though - and they wonder, has CMP been sneakily charging them extra since the storm?
Spokesperson Gail Rice says no. “CMP rates have not changed at all since before the storm that happened in late October/early November,” she said. “They are exactly the same as they were prior to that.”
Spokesperson Gail Rice says there have been absolutely no rate increases to cover storm costs - yet.
She proved it by showing NEWS CENTER Maine three electric bills for a middle aged couple in a small home for November, December, and January.
Each one shows a rate of $10.68 for the first 50 kilowatts, and around $0.07 for each kilowatt after - with NO CMP rate increase.
There was, however, a small increase that Rice says was out CMP's hands.
There are two charges on an electric bill - one for the delivery, which comes from CMP.
The other charge is for the supply of electricity itself - the standard offer - which has raised its rates from $0.066 per kilowatt to $0.079 cents per kilowatt. That increase started on January 1st.
“[CMP] have no stake in that,” Rice said. “We don't get any revenue out of that. It's simply a pass-through that shows up on our bill.”
So there is a slight rate increase – about a penny – but it’s not from CMP, and has nothing to do with the wind storm.
Rice says there are other explanations for a pricier bill. “People are spending more time at home, indoors,” she said. “They may have holiday lights that they are using during the month of December.”
She also cited more cooking, or the long cold snap over the new year as possible causes.
We asked Gail about concerns our viewers wrote on Facebook. Melissa wrote, “CMP has a monopoly, so they can do whatever they want and people have no choice but to pay the bill.”
Gail says that’s not so true. “We cannot do whatever we want,” she explained. “We are very heavily regulated. The Public Utilities Commission regulates every aspect of our operations.”
Matthew wrote on Facebook, “CMP is deceptive in their billing practices and should be held accountable.”
“There is no truth to that allegation, and I wish I knew where that came from or why he would say that, because we strive to be very open and transparent and everything we do,” Gail said. “And we really do strive to keep our bills as the lower end as accurate as we possibly can.”
The PUC is now reviewing CMP's request to increase rates in July.
Gail said the company has also pledged that any money saved because of the new tax legislation will be passed to the customers.