Vermont families who electrified say they are trapped as utilities keep raising rates
Vermont households claim electrifying their homes has only exposed them to higher power costs. In August 2026, the Public Utility Commission approved a 5.5% rate increase for Green Mountain Power. While below the utility's requested 7.5%, the increase still extends a run of hikes that has left the utility with Vermont's highest total power prices, according to Seven Days. Before issuing that decision, regulators heard from dozens of customers who urged them not to approve another increase. Graniteville resident Lori Bernier told regulators that households that electrified their homes face special risk because "households that answered the call to electrify are now locked into rising electric costs with no alternative." Regulators said they had to consider not just the pressure on households, but also Green Mountain Power's inflation-linked operating expenses and the cost of…
