1. Your Community Power Program is the Default Provider

Maintain your municipality’s status as the default electricity supplier.

The refresh process ensures that eligible customers, those who recently opened electric accounts, are automatically enrolled in the Community Power program, unless they’ve previously opted out.

2. Higher Participation Supports Cost Savings for All

Increased enrollment spreads fixed costs, strengthens group purchasing power, and helps provide rate relief. This is one of the key ways in which CPCNH delivers long-term value and stability to member communities.

3. Customers Retain Full Choice and Flexibility

Notices sent to customers explain their options clearly. The mailer provides them with information that they might not be aware of otherwise.

Member Representatives Can Support the Process

• Help share accurate information locally

• Utilize the Member Services team for support

• Include CPCNH resources/talking points on municipal websites and newsletters

In 2025, CPCNH adopted a New Customer Refresh Noticing & Enrollment Policy, which you can find in our Board Policies and Procedures folder.

The Policy states that… the CEO or their designee, in consultation with the Portfolio Manager and Risk Management Committee, is responsible for determining the timing and cadence of new customer refresh noticing…

The policy includes local control options by which CPCNH members may provide criteria to CPCNH to guide periodic customer refreshes of their Community Power program.

No. Mailers will only be sent to new customers on Utility default. They will only be enrolled if they take no action before their meter read date.

Customers who have recently returned to their utility default energy service from a third-party supply option will receive similar notices.

Customers who have previously opted out of Community Power will not be notified or enrolled.

Customers who have opted out on one account but opened a new one for some reason will not be excluded.

Customers with existing third-party contracts or net metering systems are not automatically enrolled. However, they can choose to opt in through the CPCNH portal or by contacting customer service if they wish to participate.

There is currently one template that is utilized for all mailers. This is the most efficient and streamlined approach operationally, and we strive to maintain consistent messaging.

• We contact the Utility and receive updated customer lists.

• We create mailers, customized for each Member City, Town or County that explain clearly what is happening and what options customers have.

• We send these out at least 30 days before automatic enrollment.

• From a customer perspective, the experience is the same as initial enrollment.

A Community Power Program is classified under RSA 53-E as replacing the Utility default supply service, but it is not administered that way by the Utilities.

When a home or place of business is vacated, the new occupants must sign up for an electric service account with their Distribution Utility. They will be issued a new account number and will be enrolled in the Utility’s supply program.

Unless they take action to sign up for Community Power or contract with another third-party supplier, they will remain on Utility supply.

So, over time, the total number of customers participating in the Community Power Program will go down, unless a “refresh” is conducted. We call this “customer attrition” and it has a significant impact upon participation rates. Without regular refreshes, a Program can see upwards of 10% reduction annually.

A periodic enrollment of new electric accounts into an active Community Power Program.

Utilities are proposing significant reductions to their discount rates for POR in 2026, driven by lower bad debt, reduced capital costs, and reconciliation since POR began in 2025.

• Eversource proposed reducing the POR discount rate from 1.285% to 0.399% (residential) and from 0.370% to 0.274% (non-residential)

• Unitil (UES) proposed reducing the POR discount rate from 1.63%  to 1.01% (residential) and from 0.43% to 0.22% (general)

• Liberty Utilities proposed reducing the POR discount rate from 1.439% to 0.000% due to over-collection as initial implementation costs and bad debt proved to be less than previously estimated.

These downward adjustments will provide marginal rate relief for customers with third-party suppliers, including with CPCNH.

Under Purchase of Receivables (POR), utilities buy the supply portion of customer bills from third-party energy suppliers, including CPCNH, at a small discount to account for bad debt or customer non-payment. Utilities file a discount rate with regulators; a percentage of total receivables estimated to be uncollectible along with amortization of costs to implement POR and assume the responsibility for trying to collect customer non-payments.

The PUC largely prescribed the methodology that utilities are to use to set “proxy rates.”   CPCNH filed testimony last spring in cases involving Eversource and Unitil under-recoveries of their default service costs demonstrating that the PUC proxy rate methodology was very likely to underestimate costs most of the time and that the potential for under estimation was much greater than the potential for over estimation.  Since then two representatives of investor-owned utilities in NH have acknowledged that the method for setting proxy rates is more likely than not to underprice actual market costs.  For example, see transcript of Unitil 12/10/25 hearing at page 28.

In March 2026, Liberty Utilities proposed a rate increase for May through July 2026 to  achieve more complete recovery of $4.15 million in under-recoveries through July 2025 that the PUC approved for recovery last June.  This was only  half of  a total of  $8.3 million under-recovery of default service costs through July 2025 much of which is attributable to the proxy price being lower than the actual market costs for that period.

Eversource initially sought to recover approximately $6.5 million in under-collections from 2022-2024 through its Stranded Cost Recovery Charge in June 2024, which the PUC first encouraged but ultimately denied last spring after CPCNH demonstrated that these under-collections were not due to customer migration and the launch of community power programs as Eversource originally suggested but turned out to be due to billing, load settlement, and human errors on Eversource’s part.  

In its 2025 default service docket (DE 25-017), the company proposed recovering $4.012 million of the original amount from their residential and small business customers on utility default service. The PUC ended up approving recovery of only $1.483 million and denied the remainder - $2.529 million, though that outcome remains uncertain pending an OCA rehearing request, with a hearing scheduled for April 16. The full extent of any under-collection from the current period (August 2025-July 2026) will not be known until the company’s next rate filing for the August – January period, expected no later than June.

HB 1733 establishes clearer guardrails around how electric utilities procure default service and how any under- or over-collections are recovered (i.e., when rates do not reflect the cost of supply). The legislation ensures that costs associated with utility default service are borne only by the customers receiving that service. The bill also requires utilities to return to use of fixed-price contracts and cease spot market purchases for residential and small commercial customers. HB1733 passed the NH House with a unanimous ought-to-pass recommendation from the Science, Technology, and Energy Committee and will move into consideration by the Senate.

Utilities now set “proxy rates” for energy supply by estimating what the spot market will cost over the coming rate period. Spot market purchasing can create volatility and potential financial losses when rates underestimate costs. Conversely, when market prices are lower than projects, spot market procurements can yield savings and efficiencies for customers. This highlights that the risks and benefits of this approach can cut both ways, though the potential for price spikes and under-recovery often presents greater exposure[DD1] [DD2] . If those losses are excluded from default service supply rates, deferred to the future, or moved into distribution charges paid by all customers,

• The utility default service supply rate may not fully reflect the true cost of service.

• That can distort competitive comparisons in the market.

Starting in 2024, regulators directed utilities (Eversource, Liberty Utilities, Unitil) to transition to buying increasing amounts of energy directly from the ISO New England spot market as opposed to the traditional practice of securing fixed-price contracts.

DASI affects all suppliers and ultimately all customers in the New England market. In March, Governor Kelly Ayotte called on ISO New England to address this significant cost overrun (see WMUR coverage). Suppliers, Community Power providers, and utilities across the region have been reacting and notifying customers of associated rate increases (see here and here).

During its first eleven months, DASI added about $921 million in cost to New England’s electricity, representing roughly 9% of total wholesale energy and ancillary service costs, equivalent to about $8.58/MWh of load served. This is significantly higher than ISO New England’s original estimate of roughly $140 million.

The Day-Ahead Ancillary Services Initiative (DASI) is a new ISO New England ancillary market that launched in March 2025. DASI allows the grid operator to secure reliability services one day in advance instead of only reacting in real time with the intent of improving reliability and resilience.

If CPCNH cannot initially find enough group members to fully subscribe to the project's annual output, then CPCNH will not move forward with the project.  

If CPCNH is able to fully subscribe the project initially but then one or more group members desire to leave the group at some point during the operational phase, then those departing group members are required to provide 12 months' notice of their impending departure (or otherwise pay an early termination fee that is roughly equivalent to one full year of their group net metering credits).  This 12-month window will provide CPCNH with time to find replacement group members.  

If CPCNH is unable to find sufficient replacement group members, then it is possible that a portion of the project's annual generation will be unsubscribed.  Any unsubscribed portion of the project's annual generation will be compensated by the local distribution utility at its "avoided cost" rate, which is less than its default supply rate (to which the net metering credit is pegged).  In a worst-case scenario, where CPCNH fully subscribes the project initially but then a significant number of group members depart and CPCNH is unable to find sufficient replacement group members, CPCNH has the right to terminate the group net metering arrangement with 90 days' notice and treat the project as a pure Load Reducer or instead ask the project owner to register the project with ISO-NE as a generator.  Either of those two alternatives—pure Load Reducer or registered ISO-NE generator—will provide value to CPCNH (exactly how much value depends on timing and the then-current regulatory and market landscape).

Substantial reductions to a group member’s energy usage (e.g., from installing on-site generation or implementing deep energy efficiency retrofits) may affect the Poverty Plains group, as the project must balance group members’ usage with power production. A group member may exit the Poverty Plains group with 12 months' notice.

Participating group members will receive electric bill credits equal to 12.5% of the Eversource supply rate (i.e., net metering credit). For example, if the Eversource supply rate is 10 cents/kWh, then group member accounts would be compensated as shown in this illustrative table:

Illustrative Compensation for Group Members 

@ 12.5% of a 10 cent/kWh Eversource supply rate (net metering credit) 

Example Account / Group Member Size Annual Usage (kWh) Value Small Account (e.g., small town office) Medium Account (e.g., municipal complex) 10,000 $125 Large Account (e.g., wastewater treatment facility) 100,000 $1,250 1,000,000 $12,500 

No, subscribed accounts can both participate in Poverty Plains as group members and continue to purchase their electricity supply from Community Power, their utility, or another third-party option. Poverty Plains allows the group members to support the development of a new community solar project in New Hampshire.

CPCNH is the group administrator. For Poverty Plains to proceed under Group Net Metering, CPCNH must develop and maintain a group of accounts with a usage roughly equivalent to the project's power output.

Qualifying public accounts—such as municipal office buildings, wastewater treatment plants, county courthouses and correctional facilities, school districts (SAUs), etc.—are eligible to participate in Poverty Plains as group members, as long as they are located in Eversource service territory. There is no cost to subscribe as a group member, and the commitment is effectively 12 months (see below).

CPCNH currently pays ~$41/REC. CPCNH Monte Carlo analysis suggests that in a conservative future scenario, the expected P95 (near-worst case) price for Poverty Plains RECs would be ~$41/REC on average. Within that same conservative scenario, a morelikely P50 outcome yields a price of $34/REC on average, and hence savings relative to current market prices. The quantity of RECs generated by Poverty Plains would have amounted to ~6% of CPCNH’s Class I REC obligations in 2024.

No. Under the Cost Sharing Agreement, a CPCNH Member has a capped obligation to participate with CPCNH of no more than 36 months from their notice to exit, with avenues for early termination within that timeframe. The RECs that CPCNH purchases from Poverty Plains are allocated to cover a proportional share of the needs of CPCNH’s active Member Community Power Aggregations.

Poverty Plains falls within the Complete Service Bundle of CPCNH’s Cost Sharing Agreement. It is not designed to be apportioned to Members via “Project Contracts” under CPCNH Joint Powers Agreement Article X.

If approved and executed, the PPA will require CPCNH to pay a fixed price for 20 years in exchange for all of the products generated by Poverty Plains over that period (e.g., any and all energy, RECs, capacity, etc.).  By structuring the project’s output as a Group Net Metering arrangement, subscribers (i.e., group members) will get significant bill discounts and CPCNH will recoup much of the PPA price, with the net effect being that CPCNH will end up paying a competitive price for Poverty Plains’ RECs. 

The contract has the flexibility to accommodate potential future changes to state law and regulation. For example, changes in state policy could someday enable CPCNH to realize the full value of distributed generation from Load Reducers (e.g., the value of avoided wholesale energy and capacity costs, avoided transmission costs, etc.). In this event, CPCNH could elect to convert the project from “Group Net Metering” to “Load Reducer” in order to realize those greater benefits on behalf of its Members. 

The PPA and its Group Net Metering Rider are structured to enable the developer to earn the total price needed to develop the project through a combination of (1) an 87.5% share of the Eversource supply rate (net metering credit) + (2) the sale of RECs to CPCNH. Meanwhile, participating group members earn bill credits equal to 12.5% of the Eversource supply rate. 

Poverty Plains is an opportunity for CPCNH to support the deployment of a new local renewable energy generator in New Hampshire – an objective shared by many of our Member communities. 

The project will provide CPCNH with competitively priced Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) to support our Renewable Portfolio Standard compliance obligations and our voluntary energy products (Grante Plus, Clean 50, and Clean 100). 

In addition, municipal and other public accounts of CPCNH Members can realize value in the form of bill credits or payments by subscribing their load to the project via New Hampshire’s Group Net Metering program. 

Poverty Plains is a shovel-ready 4.999-MegaWattAC photovoltaic generation project located on a near-ideal site in Warner, NH. The project is expected to commence operations in mid-2026. 

Poverty Plains expects to generate 8,800,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of solar power in year one – i.e., less than 1% of CPCNH’s projected 2025 load. 

The Coalition represents your community’s interests before state policymakers and regulatory agencies, including the Public Utilities Commission (a quasi-judicial board that supervises Eversource, Liberty Utilities, and Unitil Corporation).

Our ability to advance reforms to energy policy depends on your support.

Over the last several years, communities in the Coalition have worked to achieve important victories at the Legislature and Public Utilities Commission, including to implement Community Power, enable customer battery storage systems, create a statewide electricity and natural gas data platform for customers, extend net metering credits for low and moderate income customers, and authorize pilot programs to compensate local renewables and battery storage systems for the financial benefits they create using market-based mechanisms.

The Coalition is a community-governed power agency that can facilitate new local projects on behalf of Community Power programs. We estimate that building new community-scale renewables and battery storage systems in New Hampshire costs up to ~30% less than continuing to purchase and import power from the New England regional electricity market. Doing so would also enhance community energy resilience and invest money back into NH communities instead of continuing to pay so much for imported power. Unlocking this opportunity to lower electricity rates requires the political will to put in place new market mechanisms that appropriately compensate local projects for the benefits they create for our customers and communities.

The Coalition has been successful in advancing public policy reforms because of the widespread support of volunteers and interested members of the public at the community level across the state.

If you would like to learn more — and sign up to receive the Coalition’s ‘Action Alerts’ to join our campaigns to advance energy reforms — you can go to www.cpcnh.org and click on the “Action Alerts” button at the bottom of the page. This will bring you to the sign-up form, along with additional links to read more about the Coalition’s public advocacy victories.

Yes, however, when you join Community Power, your budget billing program may reset. In the event of your budget billing resetting, if you have an outstanding balance with your utility, it would come due. If you have an outstanding credit with your utility, you would receive that credit.

To meet state law, and to verify the increased renewable content for customers who "opt-up" the Coalition purchases Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).

• New Hampshire’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requires all electricity providers to acquire specific percentages of RECs sourced from five different categories of renewable resources: Class I (new renewable resources), Class I thermal (useful thermal energy), Class II (new solar), Class III (existing biomass / methane), and Class IV (existing small hydroelectric).

• One REC represents the renewable attributes of one megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity, or the equivalent amount of useful thermal energy generated, and each REC is issued and tracked through the New England Power Pool Generation Information System (NEPOOL GIS).

• Electricity providers are required to submit annual reports (by July 1st) demonstrating that they’ve secured the legally required number of RECs for the prior year reporting period and make alternative compliance payments for any RPS component for which RECs are not secured and retired. For 2023 the minimum renewable requirement will be equivalent to 23.4% of customer electricity consumption, as reported by the distribution utilities.

• Refer to the NH Department of Energy’s website for additional information regarding RPS compliance requirements (online here), and to the Coalition’s RPS overview page (online here).

Pursuant to the Coalition’s Retail Rates Policy (online here, listed under our “Key Documents”), opt-up products offered by Community Power programs may provide either (1) additional NH RPS compliant RECs, with a preference for sourcing in-state generation, or (2) carbon-free generation, which is also tracked and reported by NEPOOL GIS, to cover the following percentages of customer electricity usage: Granite Plus (33%), Clean 50 (50%), and Clean 100 (100%).

For example, when a customer elects Clean 100, the Coalition would need to purchase RECs for complying with NH’s RPS standard, to cover 23.4% of the customer’s total electricity consumption for the year, and then the remaining 76.6% would be covered either by sourcing carbon-free power from specific generators (such as large hydro that doesn’t produce RECs) or by acquiring additional NH RPS compliant RECs, or a combination of the two.

During the initial period of operations starting in 2023 the Coalition procures NH RPS-compliant RECs for any customer that has elected Granite Plus, Clean 50, or Clean 100 products. In the future, we may procure carbon-free power by contracting directly with clean energy generators. These arrangements will be documented in our Environmental Disclosure Labels.

As the Coalition launches Community Power programs, and as customers make their product elections (for example, by selecting Clean 50 or Clean 100), the amount of renewable power that all customers are choosing to purchase will become known and the Coalition will purchase RECs through competitive solicitations — overseen by the Coalition’s Risk Management Committee — to satisfy the combined RPS and voluntary purchase obligations elected by customers taking service from Community Power programs.

The Coalition’s Retail Rates Policy and products offered to customers are subject to change, and evolution, over time. For example, our policy provides that Community Power programs that have begun developing new projects in New Hampshire may offer the electricity generated for sale to customers under a “Local Power” product — and we are engaging at the Legislature to advance legislation supportive of local project development:

During the current legislative session, the Coalition has been supporting legislation that would enable Community Power programs to contract for new local projects, which we estimate would lower electricity supply costs by 30%, on average, in comparison to continuing to source and pay for the delivery of electricity from the regional wholesale market.

If you would like to stay informed, and/or support our public advocacy efforts on behalf of your community, refer to “How can I get involved with advancing policy reforms?” below.

The Coalition was incorporated as a Joint Powers Agency to serve as a nonprofit wholesale energy supplier on behalf of Community Power programs. To do so, the Coalition purchases power from the New England regional wholesale electricity market (ISO-NE) and ladders contracts with counterparties over time in ways that support the least-cost provision of all-requirements electricity supply for Community Power customers.

Under NH law, Community Power programs also have the option of hiring a broker, and then contracting with an existing for-profit power supplier for a fixed term (which is how Eversource, Unitil Corporation, and Liberty Utilities provide default supply service). The Coalition’s approach is comparable to how the NH Electric Cooperative manages the cost of electricity, which has historically achieved lower rates for customers — and has been endorsed by New Hampshire’s Consumer Advocate (online here).

To oversee and actively manage our power portfolio, the Coalition’s Risk Management Committee convenes regularly to review current and forecasted market conditions that may impact power prices and to evaluate opportunities to adjust our hedged positions (by authorizing new contracts or by liquidating existing positions).

The Coalition is also responsible for (1) procuring Renewable Energy Certificates to satisfy New Hampshire's Renewable Portfolio Standard and higher renewable content supply options, (2) collecting revenues and accruing financial reserves to offset future market price increases and provide rate relief for customers, (3) developing energy programs and net metering rates for customers, and (4) facilitating competitive solicitations to contract for the construction of new, cost-effective local energy projects — which will lower our costs while diversifying our power portfolio over time, create local jobs in our communities, and strengthen our energy resilience.

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For additional information, please refer to our Energy Portfolio Risk Management Policy and Regulations (online here, listed under our “Key Documents”). Both documents have been approved by our Board of Directors and adopted by the governing bodies of each Community Power program prior to launch.

Yes. Subject to certain limitations and considerations imposed by utility billing systems, Community Power offers customers a monthly variable rate if they are on a monthly variable rate provided by their distribution utility prior to being enrolled in Community Power.

Customers in the following rate classes are eligible for monthly variable rates: Eversource Class GV customers, Liberty Utilities G1 and G2 Class customers, and Unitil Corporation Domestic and Non-G1 Class customers that are currently on Unitil’s default supply rate.

Eversource and Liberty Utilities provide Community Power programs with the data necessary to identify customers who are currently on monthly variable rates. Consequently, these customers are eligible to be automatically enrolled in Community Power monthly variable rates.

Unitil Corporation has been unresponsive to our requests to identify which default service Domestic and Non-G1 Class customers are currently on monthly variable rates. Consequently, Domestic and Non-G1 Class customers need to email info@CommunityPowerNH.gov to verify that they’re currently on a monthly variable rate provided by Unitil Corporation. (Absent verification, customers will be enrolled onto our fixed period rates.) We apologize for the inconvenience and are engaging with the Public Utilities Commission to resolve this situation.

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Community Power monthly variable rates change on the first day of each month. These rate changes are submitted to the customer’s utility each month, so that the utility can calculate customer supply charges to present on monthly bills.

Unfortunately, however, Eversource and Unitil Corporation impose limitations on how supply charges are calculated for customers on monthly variable rates:

• While all three utilities currently “pro-rate” their own default supply rates that vary based on calendar month — such that a customer whose billing cycle begins on May 15th and ends on June 15th would be charged the May rate for usage in May, and the June rate for usage in June — only Liberty Utilities provides the same billing service to Community Power programs.

• Eversource and Unitil Corporation, in contrast, will calculate customer bills by applying the monthly rate applicable at the start of each customers billing period to all usage within that billing period. Consequently, a customer whose billing cycle begins on May 15th and ends on June 15th would be charged the May rate for all electricity used between May 15th and June 15th.

The limitations imposed by Eversource and Unitil Corporation are non-compliant with regulatory rules. Utilities are supposed to provide the same billing services to customers regardless of whether they are served by the utility or a Community Power program. We are engaging with the Public Utilities to bring Eversource and Unitil Corporation into compliance to resolve this issue.

Community Power programs can serve 2-part Time of Use customers in Liberty Utilities and Eversource territories. These customers’ current time-of-day rate only varies by time of day for the utility’s distribution charges. They pay a fixed rate for supply from the utility and will continue to pay a fixed rate for supply provided by Community Power programs.

While the Coalition is fully capable of offering advanced time-varying supply rate structures for electric vehicle, battery storage, and customers that want electricity rates that vary by time of day — which we very much want to do! — unfortunately, the utilities do not currently provide the data and billing services necessary for Community Power programs to offer these rates to customers.

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There are two main barriers preventing Community Power programs from fully serving 3-part Time of Use customers:

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1. The first issue is that utilities will not allow Community Power programs to provide anything other than a flat, fixed supply for use in calculating customer bills (when the utility performs the calculations and issues the bill on behalf of Community Power programs, as they do for most customers).

2. The second issue is that the utilities will only tell Community Power programs how much electricity Time of Use customers have used over the course of each month and will not tell us how much electricity they’ve used during the 3 different periods of the Time-of-Use rate. Without this data, Community Power programs have no ability to independently offer customers a 3-part Time-of-Use rate and bill the customer directly for their supply charges.

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Consequently, customers currently on a three-part Time-of-Use rate with a supply charge that varies by time of day will NOT be automatically enrolled in Community Power programs and do not need to opt-out at this time.

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Customers can still elect to opt-in but would have to accept a fixed rate at this time (a flat rate that does not vary by time of day). It therefore may or may not financially benefit Time of Use customers to take service from Community Power programs. The Coalition recommends that customers assess whether their Community Power program’s fixed rate is a better option for them as compared to their utility’s 3-part Time-of-Use rate before making their decision.

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If you are a 3-part Time-of-Use customer, please call us at 1-866-603-POWR to discuss your options.

Please view Net Metering FAQs to learn more.

If your city, town or county program is an active Coalition member, rates are set through Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire, a public non-profit governed by our member cities, towns and counties. The Coalition ensures you’ll have a steady, predictable outlook on your rates. You’ll also have the satisfaction of working with a local provider, governed by local leaders whose interests are aligned with yours.​

The Coalition sets and adjusts rates with the objective of saving customers money and increasing power options. We offer at least one supply option at a discount relative to your utility supply rate along with cleaner ‘opt up’ choices. Most utility rates are set from February 1 to July 31 and from August 1 to January 31. The Coalition's default rates will change for the next six-month utility rate period.

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The Coalition’s Board and Committee meetings are open to the public. Customers can always know about rate changes 30 days in advance, and rates are publicly posted on the NH Department of Energy’s website alongside the rates of other electricity supply options.

Yes, however, in some communities, customers in New Hampshire Electric Co-op's territory will NOT be automatically enrolled but may choose to opt-in. If you'd like to discuss your options, please call us at 1-866-603-POWR.

Yes. Electric Assistance Program discounts continue to be available to Community Power customers. Customers enrolled in Community Power continue to receive their Electric Assistance Program discount. There is no need to reapply. New Electric Assistance Program enrollments and renewals for Community Power customers are processed by local Community Action Agencies.

Yes. The Public Utilities Commission authorizes Eversource, Liberty, and Unitil to collect fees (called Systems Benefits Charge) from all customers to fund NHSaves energy efficiency incentive programs. NH Electric Co-op, while not regulated by the Public Utilities Commission, similarly funds NHSaves programs. The utilities will continue to collect these fees and Community Power customers will remain eligible for these incentives and services.

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Visit NHSaves.com to learn more about saving money by saving energy.

Customers who already shop for electricity using a third-party provider will not be automatically enrolled into a Community Power program. Unless you choose to enroll, nothing will change for you.

If you're interested in signing up for Community Power, please call us at 1-866-603-POWR to discuss your options. (Don’t forget to check with your current provider to determine if there are any early termination fees or penalties for leaving their supply service.)

New Hampshire was the first state in the nation to pass Community Power legislation in 1996. However, our market lay dormant for more than twenty-five years because the original legislation only allowed for opt-in programs.

Opt-in programs fail to realize benefits for customers because they are unable to achieve the required economy of scale to effectively lower costs. In 2019 and 2021, leaders from our Coalition worked with the New Hampshire legislature to pass bills to bring our Community Power Act up to date with national best practices, and to allow for opt-out programs.

Community Power is voluntary. It is a way to add additional affordable choices for customers that are more aligned with local interests, while maintaining other existing choices such as utility default supply, and third-party options. Customers are free to opt-in and opt-out as they choose.

Customers who opt out of Community Power service may return at any time. Five days notice is required in advance of your next monthly billing period and meter read by the utility company.

You get to decide! Any customer may opt out of their Community Power program without fee or cost. Just call 1-866-603-POWR  (during normal business hours), visit CommunityPowerNH.gov, or email us at info@CommunityPowerNH.gov.

Customers who have already received an enrollment notice in the mail and do not choose to opt out will be enrolled onto Community Power service after 30 days (upon your next regularly-scheduled electricity meter reading date). Customers who already shop with a competitive supplier will not be automatically enrolled, but may choose to opt-in.

Yes, you can move between Granite Basic, Granite Plus, Clean 50 or Clean 100 at any time. And if you want to switch, just call and let us know or log-on to our website CommunityPowerNH.gov and make the change there. Have your utility account number from Eversource, Liberty, Unitil or NH Electric Cooperative handy so we can easily process your request.

If you ever have questions about Community Power or the electricity supply charges on your bill, email us at Info@CommunityPowerNH.gov or call us at 1-866-603-POWR.

Please note, it is important that you dial 866, and not some other prefix like 800, 888, etc.  Unfortunately, there can be scams that are associated with other prefixes. Our customer service representatives will never ask for a credit card number or need any payment from you.

If you have questions about the rest of your utility bill, please contact your utility directly at:

• Eversource

• Liberty Utilities

• NH Electric Cooperative

• Unitil

Liberty Utilities implemented a new billing system recently. Consequently, all customers have been assigned different account numbers. You will need your new account number to opt-out or opt-in to Community Power service, or to opt-up to choose a different product.

Apparently, a significant number of customers have not been told what their new Liberty account numbers are. Note that your old account number was a 16-digit string of numbers separated by a dash in the middle (for example, “1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 — 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8”), whereas your new account number will be a 12-digit string of numbers without any dashes.

Please contact Liberty Utilities directly to obtain your new account number.

No. Your utility company (Eversource, Liberty, Unitil, or NH Electric Co-op) continues to provide all electric delivery, consolidated billing, and power line maintenance services.

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Community Power only replaces the electric generation and supply services with your choice of energy product at competitive rates.

Community Power is financed by the revenues received from our customers based on the electricity they consume. Community Power programs are self-funded and provide electricity supply and customer services without using any tax dollars, which ensures that any financial benefits directly serve the community.

Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire, also known as “the Coalition,” is a public power agency, created by New Hampshire cities and towns as a non-profit on October 1, 2021. The Coalition is governed by a Board of Directors of elected officials, staff, and volunteers appointed by each of our local municipal and county members. The Coalition provides comprehensive services to launch and operate Community Power programs. Visit www.cpcnh.org to learn more.

The New Hampshire Legislature found that allowing municipalities and counties the local control to aggregate retail electric customers for the purpose of accessing competitive markets for supplies of electricity and related energy services was beneficial for lowering costs and creating cost effective and innovative energy solutions with careful consideration of local conditions and opportunities.

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Community Power creates more choices for customers, the collective buying power to drive down cost, and the local control to allow New Hampshire communities to chart their own energy futures.

New Hampshire cities and towns that adopt Community Power by their local legislative body (e.g., Town Meeting or City/Town Council) can establish their own locally controlled electricity provider. Community Power provides the actual energy known as generation or energy supply, and replaces the energy supply charge from your utility company (Eversource, Unitil Corporation, Liberty Utilities, or New Hampshire Electric Co-op). The utility will continue to charge you for their transmission and delivery service.

Community Power is enabled by New Hampshire RSA 53-E.