Bangor and Presque Isle, Maine - After a yearlong review process, the Maine Public Utilities Commission has approved a distribution rate change for Versant Power customers effective April 1. The distribution rate is one of six rates that make up customer bills. Versant Power is a cost-of-service utility, which means its distribution rates reflect the cost of delivering electricity to local homes and businesses.  
For the average residential customer using 500 kilowatt-hours per month, this change would mean an increase of about $11 per month, or 8% of the total bill. For a customer using 750 kwh, it would result in a $16.50 increase, and for 1,000 kwh, an increase of about $22. With this rate change, Versant Power plans to: - Install covered wire in heavily forested areas in northern Penobscot, Piscataquis and Hancock counties to reduce outages caused by falling trees and branches.
- Substation work and transformer replacements to ensure reliability in Brewer, Washington County and southern Aroostook County.
- Rebuilds to improve reliability in Mount Desert, Southwest Harbor, Blue Hill and Trenton.
- Recover costs of major storm restoration efforts.
- Invest in technology to modernize customers’ interactions, including a new web portal as well as email and text notification capabilities, and keep sensitive data secure.
- Continue work to maintain the reliability and resiliency of the grid in the face of rising costs of materials and labor.
Versant Power offers distribution rates and total average residential bills that remain lower than most comparable New England utilities.
Versant Power seeks permission from the Maine Public Utilities Commission or the Federal Regulatory Commission for any change to transmission or distribution rates, which represent the cost to bring electricity from where it is made to your home or business. The utility is responsible for delivery of electricity, and does not control or benefit from changes in supply prices. If you are experiencing financial hardship and have trouble paying your electricity bill, please call us to learn about potential resources. Local Community Action Programs offer applications for assistance programs including the Home Energy Assistance Program, the Low-Income Assistance Program and the Arrearage Management Program, and have partnered with Versant Power for the Power Match program offering electricity assistance to those who might not otherwise qualify for assistance. Customers also may benefit from information and programs offered by Efficiency Maine. To learn more, visit versantpower.com, call our Customer Contact Center at 1-855-363-7211 or 207-973-2000, or email info@versantpower.com. You can also follow us on Twitter (@versantpower), Instagram (versantpower) or LinkedIn. Versant Power is committed to delivering safe, reliable electric service. As the state's second-largest electric utility, the company delivers electricity to more than 164,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers across 10,400 square miles in five counties in eastern and northern Maine.
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