Maine’s new utility ratepayer advocate has proposed a one-time $90 bill credit for low-income customers of Central Maine Power and Versant Power to offset rising energy costs this spring. 

Newly confirmed public advocate Bill Harwood and Gov. Janet Mills’ Energy Office asked the Public Utilities Commission on Wednesday to approve the plan, which was developed with input from CMP and Versant and would be paid for with federal heating assistance funds.

The proposal notes that average residents’ bills are increasing $30 a month this year, “on top of large increases in home heating costs and transportation costs driven by the same increases in fossil fuel prices that are driving up electricity supply rates.” 

Officials want the PUC to approve $8 million in rate relief for about 90,000 customers with incomes at 150% or less of federal poverty levels. It works out to $90 per individual customer, offsetting about three months of the recently approved rate increases. 

Harwood told Spectrum News Maine that such a proposal for one-time rate relief is unprecedented in Maine energy history.

“When global markets cause fossil fuel prices to rise, our electric rates can increase and Maine people pay the bill,” Dan Burgess, who heads the governor’s energy office, said in a state press release. “This initiative helps provide immediate relief for Maine people, as the work to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels moves ahead.”

The plan’s timing is dependent on PUC approval, but Burgess and Harwood ask that customers receive the credit automatically by March 30. 

The Maine Housing Authority would reimburse the utilities directly for providing the credits. That agency’s director, Daniel Brennan, said in the release that his board would discuss steps next week.

CMP and Versant said in filings with the PUC that they expect to provide credits to 16,300 Versant customers and 72,715 CMP customers. Customers who believe they should get a credit and don’t see one could appeal until April 15. 

Harwood and Burgess, in their PUC filing, call the proposed program “a modest attempt” to address a larger societal problem. 

“We do not propose that this program serve as a precedent for future ratemaking,” they wrote. “Instead, we look forward to working with the Commission and its Staff to identify and pursue long term strategies for relieving low income customers of the burden of rising energy costs.” 

The PUC set a deadline of Feb. 15 for comments on the case and said it would "act with expedience" to make a decision after that. The Commission's next deliberations are currently scheduled for Feb. 17 and March 1.