Compare electricity rates in Bristol

Bristol, Connecticut, is the home of ESPN and the oldest amusement park in the country, Lake Compounce. It also has a lengthy history of clock building, with the American Clock & Watch Museum located in the Federal Hill Neighborhood. Bristol is a suburb of the Hartford metropolitan area, which has a population of 1.2 million people, and is located 20 miles southwest of the city center. It is a growing area. As of the 2010 census, Bristol had just over 60,000 residents, a 3 percent increase over the preceding decade.

Bristol’s four-season climate and cold winters make affordable energy important to families and businesses alike, especially given that the cost of living in Bristol, CT is 16 percent higher than the national average. Bristol energy rates range from 7.81 cents per kWh to 11.94 cents per kWh, and while that may not seem like much, consider that the average monthly consumption in Connecticut is 731 kilowatts. Therefore, conserving as much as possible and receiving the best energy price in Bristol is crucial.

Connecticut moved to deregulate the electricity market in 1998 when the Department of Public Utility Control approved programs to allow consumers to choose alternate energy suppliers rather than their local electric company. Today, many Bristol residents and businesses purchase electricity from a Bristol energy supplier of their choice.

Connecticut has not yet acted to deregulate the natural gas industry as it applies to residential customers; however, commercial and industrial customers in the state have had natural gas energy choice since 1996. Natural gas prices in the area can also affect electric pricing for consumers, as most of New England relies on natural gas to generate electric power.

Bristol energy deregulation means businesses and residential customers are able to shop between electricity suppliers for the best rates, stimulating competition and keeping rates as low as possible. Researching the market can help consumers save significantly on their annual energy prices in Bristol.

Since deregulation, energy companies in Bristol are divided into utilities and suppliers. The main utility company in town is Eversource Energy, and they remain responsible for transmitting and distributing the power to each home, while the individual suppliers handle payments and sales to their customers.

Bristol consumers have a number of choices for purchasing electricity; Choose Energy researches each company and partners with the best providers. In Bristol, that means shopping for the best prices and most competitive contracts and terms on the Choose Energy site. Choose Energy allows users to shop trusted suppliers, like Public Power and North American Power, the latter of which is an excellent green supply choice.

Residential natural gas is supplied by Connecticut Natural Gas in Bristol.

Connecticut has plans in progress to increase energy generation via wind, hydropower, biomass and solar power to meet federal mandates by 2020. Already, there are government incentives to alleviate some of the advance costs of these technologies, including grants, tax incentives, rebates, low-cost loans and lease options for Bristol renewable energy system installations.