AARP Applauds PURA’s Final Decision Rejecting Aquarion Water Company’s Rate Increase Request

AARP Connecticut applauds the final decision by Connecticut’s Public Utility Regulatory Authority (PURA) to reject Aquarion Water Company’s rate increase request. PURA denied the 25% rate increase request after a lengthy regulatory proceeding and hearing from nearly 2,400 AARP members who signed a petition opposing the proposal. Nearly 1,800 AARP members urged PURA to make the February draft opinion final through a second petition.

In addition to the two petitions signed by thousands of ratepayers, in October AARP Connecticut submitted public testimony urging PURA to deny the proposed rate increase by Aquarion Water Company, and has taken similar actions in the United Illuminating rate increase case.

“Many of our members are on moderate, low, or fixed incomes and were hard hit by the economic impacts of the pandemic and continue to be challenged substantially by inflation,” said John Erlingheuser, AARP Connecticut Senior Associate State Director. “If this increase was approved, it would have contributed further to the tough decisions we know people are currently faced with, such as choosing between paying for utilities, food, and medicine.”