On Jan. 31, protesters rallied in Hartford, Conn., outside the state capitol to denounce a 50 percent increase in electricity rates by United Illuminating. The action was organized by the Fight the Hike Committee, a grassroots group that includes activists from the Connecticut Chapter of the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), members of the New Haven Board of Aldermen, Green Party members and others.
Chants at the demonstration included, “Fight the hike, fight the hike, heat and light are a right!” and “They say get back,
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UI increased rates by 24 percent in January and plans additional hikes of 20.7 percent in April and 4.3 percent in July. In 2005, UI earned $44.8 million in profits, and higher profits are projected for 2007 and beyond.
UI serves 310,000 customers in Connecticut including the cities of New Haven and Bridgeport, which are among the country’s poorest with poverty rates over 25 percent.
Connecticut’s other major electricity utility, Connecticut Light and Power, increased its rates by 22 percent in 2006 and just pushed through another hike of 7.7 percent that coincides with the UI rate hike.
UI’s unconscionable price gouging is forcing some to choose between life-sustaining basics like food, medicine or heat. Many could have their power shut off because they cannot afford the bills. In this situation, people are forced to use candles to light their homes, but candles can cause deadly fires.
Kelly Kulesa, of New Haven, who is severely disabled stated, “I get $623 a month, and my bill this month is $219.12, so it’s almost a third of my check, which makes things very difficult.”
“A lot of times my food will suffer, I end up going to food banks and stuff to get food because I don’t have enough.” (Eyewitness News Ch.3, Conn.)
Connecticut’s electricity rates are now the highest in the country. But since the entire UI rate hike has not been implemented, conditions could get worse for UI customers.
Speakers at the rally pointed out that the $279 million per day spent on the war in Iraq could be used to provide basic rights like electricity instead of being used to decimate that country’s infrastructure and add to the death toll of more than 650,000 Iraqis that have died since the start of the invasion.
Resistance to the electricity rate hikes in Connecticut continues. At the Jan. 31 rally, protesters demanded an immediate moratorium on price increases and rate relief.
The Fight the Hike action received widespread media coverage, which will encourage more people to get involved in the struggle and fight back.
