A Guide to Compare New Hampshire Electricity Rates

New Hampshire Energy Deregulation or “Energy Choice”

New Hampshire originally started to deregulate its energy market in the late 1990s. However, it took some time for retail energy providers to start offering their services to New Hampshire residents and businesses. Today, New Hampshire residents have many options to choose from for their electricity provider. Although many low-cost providers are beginning to service New Hampshire, their rates are currently 45% higher than the national average. Commercial electricity rates come in at 34% higher and the industrial electricity rates come in at 76% higher in NH over the national average. New Hampshire residents and businesses are hopeful these prices will fall as more retail energy providers enter the market.

New Hampshire started the process of deregulating its energy market in 1996 with a bill that was proposed to the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission. The proposed bill required the Public Utilities Commission to develop a plan for a competitive energy market and restructure the current utilities by 1998. The plan was finished by 1997 and laid the groundwork for independent retail electricity providers to start offering their services to NH residents.

Granite State Electric Company was the first utility to begin the restructuring in 1998. By December 2002, all of the New Hampshire utilities had been restructured. In May of 2003, retail energy providers could begin offering their services to NH residents and businesses.

Although the state has been deregulated for over a decade, many New Hampshire residents and businesses still have not switched to an independent retail provider. This is mostly due to the large independent energy providers already marketing mainly to large businesses and corporations. Also, electricity price competition in New Hampshire hasn’t developed as much as the state’s residents had hoped. However, this trend is starting to change in New Hampshire as more and more competitive rates are being offered and marketed to residential consumers.

New Hampshire Utilities

There are four electric utilities that serve all of New Hampshire. Their utilities include Eversource Energy, Liberty Utilities, Unitil Energy Systems, and New Hampshire Electric Cooperative. Eversource serves roughly 70% of New Hampshire while Liberty serves 6%, Unitil Energy serves 11% and NHEC serves 11%. Find out more about the history of these NH utilities below:

• Eversource Energy
• Liberty Utilities
• Unitil Energy Systems
• New Hampshire Electric Cooperative

What to Look for in an Electricity Provider

For many people, the most important thing to compare when shopping for electricity is the cents/kWh rate. If this is the case, you’ll want to find a retail electricity provider that offers a lower rate than what you are currently paying, which is referred to as the “Price-to-Compare” and can be found on your current utility bill. Keep in mind, even a slight difference can result in large cost savings. At ElectricityRates.com, we do our best to find the best rates and plans for you. Here are other core factors that should be considered when shopping electricity rates:

• Plan Options: Variable pricing can vary by day or month, is based on the market price for the retail electricity provider, and can be very unpredictable. However, often time providers won’t charge an enrollment fee or early termination fee with these plans. With fixed pricing, customers can pay one low rate that will never change until the contract expires.
• Contract Length: Contract terms can last for as little as one month or as long as 36 months. Shorter contracts may offer lower rates, but longer contracts lock in low rates for long periods and reduce the risk of high rates when the contract expires. The ICC recommends choosing a 12- or 24-month contract to avoid risk.
• Provider Reviews and Ratings: Look for customer reviews and ratings to gauge provider reliability and customer service. Watch out for red flags such as pressure to sign up immediately without reviewing terms and unsolicited door-to-door sales or high-pressure phone tactics. Remember, all suppliers listed on ElectricityRates.com are licensed by PURA and adhere to strict consumer protection guidelines.
• Renewable Electricity: Looking to be more environmentally conscious? Many providers offer partial or 100% renewable electricity options as well as Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to residents and small businesses. While the rates are higher than traditional electric sources, the availability of renewable electricity has driven costs down and can often be found for less than the utility’s Price-to-Compare for traditional electricity.

How to Compare New Hampshire Electricity Rates

Comparing and switching electricity rates is simple through ElectricityRates.com’s Rate Comparison Tool. All you have to do is follow a simple three-step process:

1. Enter your ZIP Code – This will pull up all electricity providers and their available rates in your area.
2. Compare providers and plans – Compare electric company rates, plan length, renewable options and more to find the right plan for you.
3. Switch providers – After finding the right plan, select it, fill out the necessary information, and switch to the Maryland electricity provider with the best plan for you.

After this, your new provider takes care of the rest. Your new plan will take over in one to two months, all while your local utility company provides the same great distribution service.

All New Hampshire Electricity Providers