In short: Hartford, West Hartford, Manchester and Glastonbury are all Eversource towns. In 2024, Eversource homes buying its power paid about 28.5¢ per kWh and lost 159 minutes to outages, 77 on normal days (EIA). The Hartford area is rated “very high” for ice storms, so the long winter outage is the one to plan for.
This page covers what is local to the Hartford area: your utility’s numbers, this year’s rate changes, storm risk, permits and charging. Statewide rules (the RRES solar tariff, the new plug-in solar law, tax exemptions and contractor licensing) are in our Connecticut energy guide.
Hartford at a glance
- Utility: Eversource (Connecticut Light & Power) in all four of our cities. About 28.5¢ per kWh on average in 2024 for homes on its own supply; 159 outage minutes per customer counting major storms, 77 without, and under one interruption per customer in the year (EIA-861, 2024, Eversource’s whole Connecticut area).
- 2026 rate changes: delivery charges fell about 4.3¢ per kWh on May 1, and Eversource’s Standard Service supply rate dropped from 12.64¢ to 11.58¢ on July 1. Together, about $38 a month or 18% off an average bill (PURA and the Office of Consumer Counsel, May 2026).
- Sun: about 3.9 kWh per square meter per day in Hartford (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,140 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Top hazards: the Capitol planning region is rated “very high” for ice storms and “relatively high” for winter weather, cold waves, hurricanes, inland flooding, lightning and tornadoes (FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025).
- Public charging: 368 ports in Hartford, 68 in Manchester, 46 in West Hartford and 42 in Glastonbury (AFDC, October 3, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Eversource delivers the power in every town we list here. The supply part of your bill can come from Eversource’s Standard Service or from a licensed supplier; in 2024, about 21% of Eversource households bought from a supplier (EIA-861). You are not required to switch. PURA keeps the official rate board on EnergizeCT, where you can compare offers against the 11.58¢ Standard Service rate that runs through December 2026.
- Solar: new home systems enroll in Residential Renewable Energy Solutions (RRES) with Eversource, choosing Netting or Buy-All. The terms are on our state page. Eversource counted 79,274 net-metered home solar systems in 2024 (EIA-861).
- Batteries: Energy Storage Solutions pays an upfront incentive plus 10 years of performance payments, and Eversource calls the dispatch events in summer and winter (Connecticut Green Bank, February 2026).
- EV charging: Eversource and UI run the state’s EV charging program, but its residential terms changed for 2026. Check EnergizeCT or ask Eversource before you count on a rebate.
Backup power in Hartford
On a normal day, Eversource outages are short: 77 minutes a year on average. The gap to 159 minutes is the storm days, and in the Hartford area that mostly means ice. FEMA rates the Capitol region “very high” for ice storms and “relatively high” for winter weather and cold waves. That combination is the hard case: no power, in the cold, for a day or more, in a house whose furnace or boiler needs electricity to run.
- Apartment or condo in Hartford: a portable power station keeps phones, Wi-Fi, lights and a CPAP going with no fumes and no permit.
- Single-family home in West Hartford, Manchester or Glastonbury: size the backup for the heating system, sump pump and, where there is one, the well pump. A home battery covers most outages and earns program payments; a standby generator covers a multi-day ice storm. Use the generator sizing tool or the battery backup calculator, and compare options in backup power.
Generator safety (CPSC): run it outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust pointed away from doors, windows and vents, never in a garage or basement, and keep it clear of snow. Put battery-powered carbon monoxide alarms on every level. A transfer switch or interlock is a licensed electrician’s job and needs a permit; see generator installation.
Solar in Hartford
By our rough estimate, each kW of panels makes about 1,140 kWh a year here. At Eversource’s 2024 average price of 28.5¢, that power was worth about $325 a year per kW, if it offsets power you would otherwise buy (an estimate, not a promise). The 2026 rate cuts lower that value somewhat, so use your own bill’s total price per kWh when you compare quotes. A roof shaded by trees can make far less, so start with the solar potential tool and test quotes in the solar savings calculator.
Under RRES, Buy-All sells all your output to Eversource at a fixed rate while you keep paying your normal bill; Netting offsets your own use first. Which one pays more depends on how much you use during the day, so ask installers to price both. For the steps from contract to switch-on, see solar installation.
Batteries
Energy Storage Solutions pays a much bigger upfront incentive on “grid edge” circuits: $130 per kWh instead of $30 for homes (from April 1, 2026). Grid edge means the 10% of circuits with the most outages per customer during major storms since July 2012, and the 10% with the longest storm outages. The program publishes maps of these circuits, so ask your installer to check your address before sizing the system. Performance payments of $300 to $550 per kW a year run for 10 years. Amounts change, so confirm on the program page.
A battery enrolled in the program is partly discharged during events, which can fall in winter. Ask how much charge is kept back for an outage, especially before an ice storm. See home battery installation and battery cost.
EV charging
Hartford has 368 public ports, more than the other three towns together (AFDC, October 2026). At home, at about 30 kWh per 100 miles, charging costs roughly $8.55 per 100 miles at Eversource’s 2024 average price (an estimate; lower at 2026 rates). Cold weather raises use in winter. Run your own numbers in the EV charging cost calculator. A Level 2 charger needs a 240-volt circuit and an electrical permit; see EV charger installation.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Hartford: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- Hartford: Development Services, Licenses & Inspections, 260 Constitution Plaza. Apply online through Apply for a Building and Trades Permit. The city asks you to check first whether the property is in a historic district, because historic review may apply. It has up to 30 days to respond and usually issues permits within two weeks.
- West Hartford: the Building Division’s forms and handouts include a photovoltaic permit packet and a generator handout.
- Manchester and Glastonbury: both take applications through the regional online permit center run by the Capitol Region Council of Governments.
- Who does the work: a contractor with a Connecticut license (electrical, or the state’s solar license for panels) pulls the electrical permit; Eversource must approve solar and battery interconnection. Condo owners need association approval first.
Cities we cover
- Hartford
- West Hartford
- Manchester
- Glastonbury
Get help
Are you a licensed installer in Hartford? Join SolutionEnergy and get requests from homeowners and businesses →
Tell us about your project and we will connect you with a licensed, independent installer who serves the Hartford area. It is free, there is no obligation, and only the installer you choose gets your details. Read how it works.
Hartford energy FAQ
Who supplies electricity in Hartford and West Hartford?
Eversource delivers it in Hartford, West Hartford, Manchester and Glastonbury. For the supply part, you can stay on Eversource’s Standard Service (11.58¢ per kWh from July 1, 2026) or pick a licensed supplier on the state’s rate board at EnergizeCT. Compare the supplier’s price and contract length with Standard Service before you sign.
Why did my Eversource bill drop in 2026?
Two changes. On May 1, PURA cut several delivery-side charges by about 4.3¢ per kWh, mainly lower public benefits costs. On July 1, the Standard Service supply rate fell to 11.58¢. The Office of Consumer Counsel puts the combined effect at about $38 a month, or 18%, for an average Eversource home.
Is my home on a grid-edge circuit?
Grid-edge circuits are the 10% with the most frequent storm outages per customer and the 10% with the longest ones since 2012. Energy Storage Solutions publishes maps of them. A battery on one of those circuits gets $130 per kWh upfront instead of $30, so check before you size the system.
Do I need a permit for a generator in West Hartford?
A standby generator, or any connection to the house wiring, needs permits, and West Hartford’s Building Division publishes a generator handout for it. If you only run a portable generator outdoors with extension cords, ask the Building Division whether anything is needed, and keep it at least 20 feet from doors and windows (CPSC).
Sources
Utility prices, outages, supply shopping and home solar counts: EIA-861, 2024 data. Utility by town: CT DEEP and the Connecticut Siting Council (Docket 483). 2026 rate changes: PURA (April 22, 2026) and the Office of Consumer Counsel (May 22, 2026). Supplier choice: PURA. Energy Storage Solutions: Connecticut Green Bank, February 2026. Permits: City of Hartford, Town of West Hartford, CRCOG Regional Online Permit Center. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Sun: NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020. Charging ports: AFDC Station Locator, October 3, 2026. Generator safety: CPSC. Checked October 3, 2026.