In short: New Haven and Milford are United Illuminating (UI) territory, not Eversource. In 2024, UI homes buying its power paid about 34¢ per kWh, well above Eversource’s 28.5¢, yet lost only 122 outage minutes, 49 on normal days (EIA). High prices make solar and batteries pay faster here; ice storms and coastal flooding are the risks.
This page covers what is local to the New Haven area: UI’s numbers and this year’s rate cuts, the town-run utility in Wallingford, storm and flood risk, permits and charging. Statewide rules (the RRES solar tariff, the plug-in solar law, tax exemptions and contractor licensing) are in our Connecticut energy guide.
New Haven at a glance
- United Illuminating: serves New Haven, Milford, Hamden, West Haven, East Haven, North Haven, Orange, Woodbridge and North Branford (Connecticut Siting Council). About 34.0¢ per kWh on average in 2024 for homes on its own supply; 122 outage minutes per customer with major storms, 49 without (EIA-861, 2024, UI’s whole area).
- Wallingford Electric: the town-run utility for Wallingford and parts of Northford (CT DEEP). About 15.7¢ per kWh in 2024; 214 outage minutes with major storms, 37 without (EIA-861).
- 2026 rate changes for UI: delivery charges fell about 4.9¢ per kWh on May 1 and the Standard Service supply rate dropped from 13.70¢ to 11.95¢ on July 1: about $50 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 New Haven (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,140 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Top hazards: the South Central planning region is rated “very high” for ice storms and “relatively high” for coastal flooding, hurricanes, strong wind, inland flooding, lightning and winter weather (FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025).
- Public charging: 510 ports at 180 locations in New Haven and 80 in Milford (AFDC, October 3, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
UI delivers the power; the supply part of the bill can be UI’s Standard Service or a licensed supplier. In 2024, about 18% of UI households bought from a supplier (EIA-861). You don’t have to switch: PURA’s official rate board on EnergizeCT lets you compare offers with the 11.95¢ Standard Service rate in effect since July 1, 2026. The Office of Consumer Counsel notes that UI homes typically use less power than Eversource homes, so a higher price per kWh does not always mean a higher bill.
- UI customers: new home solar enrolls in RRES with UI (Netting or Buy-All; terms on our state page). UI counted 23,614 net-metered home solar systems in 2024. Energy Storage Solutions covers batteries, with UI calling the dispatch events. UI and Eversource also run the state’s EV charging program, whose residential terms changed for 2026; check EnergizeCT before counting on a rebate.
- Wallingford Electric customers: the state programs above are run through UI and Eversource, so ask Wallingford Electric about its own solar, battery and EV rules. At a price under half of UI’s, the payback math is very different there.
Backup power in New Haven
UI’s normal-day record is good: 49 minutes a year. Storms more than double that, and the region’s risks are mixed: “very high” for ice storms inland, plus coastal flooding and hurricanes along the shore in Milford, West Haven and East Haven. Flooding changes the backup plan. Anything that runs on power, a generator or a battery, should sit above the expected flood level, and a sump pump is often the most important load.
- Apartment, student or condo housing in New Haven: a portable power station covers phones, Wi-Fi, lights and medical devices with no fumes.
- House in Milford, Hamden or the shoreline towns: a home battery fits the short outages that are typical here; a standby generator fits homes that need heat and pumps through a multi-day storm. Size it with the battery backup calculator or the generator sizing tool, and compare options in backup power.
Generator safety (CPSC): outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust pointed away from doors, windows and vents, never in a garage or basement. Put battery-powered carbon monoxide alarms on every level. Connecting backup to house wiring takes a licensed electrician and a permit; see generator installation.
Solar in New Haven
By our rough estimate, each kW of panels makes about 1,140 kWh a year here. At UI’s 2024 average price of 34¢, that power was worth about $388 a year per kW, more than in Eversource towns (an estimate, not a promise; the 2026 rate cuts lower it somewhat). In Wallingford, at about 15.7¢, the same kW offsets about $179. Use your own bill’s total price per kWh when you compare quotes, and check shade from trees and nearby buildings with the solar potential tool and the solar savings calculator.
In a two- or three-family house or a condo, who owns the roof and who pays each meter decides whether RRES Netting or Buy-All fits, so settle that before you sign. For the steps from contract to switch-on, see solar installation.
Batteries
Energy Storage Solutions pays $30 per kWh upfront for most homes and $130 per kWh on “grid edge” circuits (from April 1, 2026), plus $300 to $550 per kW a year for 10 years for letting UI draw on the battery at peak times. Grid edge means the 10% of circuits with the most outages per customer in major storms since July 2012, and the 10% with the longest storm outages. The program publishes maps, so check your address before sizing. Amounts change; confirm on the program page.
Events can be called in summer or winter. Ask how much charge stays reserved for an outage, especially when a coastal storm is forecast. See home battery installation and battery cost.
EV charging
New Haven’s 510 public ports are the most of any city we list in Connecticut, which helps drivers without a driveway (AFDC, October 2026). At home, at about 30 kWh per 100 miles, charging costs roughly $10.20 per 100 miles at UI’s 2024 average price (an estimate; lower at 2026 rates). Try your own figures 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 New Haven: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- New Haven: Office of Building Inspection & Enforcement, 200 Orange Street, Room 501. It issues residential permits under state and local codes, takes applications through its City Squared electronic permitting system and links a license lookup.
- Milford and Hamden: both are on the regional online permit center run by the Capitol Region Council of Governments, as is New Haven.
- Who does the work: a Connecticut-licensed electrical or solar contractor pulls the electrical permit, and UI (or Wallingford Electric) must approve solar and battery interconnection. In a flood zone, ask the building office about equipment height. Condo owners need association approval first.
Cities we cover
- New Haven
- Milford
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New Haven energy FAQ
Is New Haven on Eversource or UI?
UI. United Illuminating serves 17 towns, including New Haven, Milford, Hamden, West Haven, East Haven, North Haven, Orange and Woodbridge, plus Bridgeport and Fairfield to the west. Wallingford has its own town utility, and most towns beyond these are Eversource. Your bill names the company.
Why are UI’s prices higher than Eversource’s?
EIA’s 2024 averages were about 34¢ for UI and 28.5¢ for Eversource, for homes on each utility’s own supply. UI homes also use less power on average, per the Office of Consumer Counsel, so bills differ less than prices. For solar and battery savings, what matters is your own bill’s price per kWh.
How much did UI rates drop in 2026?
About 4.9¢ per kWh came off delivery-side charges on May 1, and the Standard Service supply rate fell from 13.70¢ to 11.95¢ on July 1. The Office of Consumer Counsel estimates the combined saving at about $50 a month, or 18%, for an average UI home. PURA may still adjust the May changes after its review.
Can I get a battery incentive in Wallingford?
Energy Storage Solutions is run by the Connecticut Green Bank with Eversource and UI, so it is built for their customers. Wallingford Electric is a town utility with its own rules; ask it directly about batteries, solar export and any EV offers before you sign a contract.
Sources
Utility prices, outages, supply shopping and home solar counts: EIA-861, 2024 data. UI towns: Connecticut Siting Council, Docket 483. Wallingford Electric area: CT DEEP. 2026 rate changes: PURA (April 22, 2026) and the Office of Consumer Counsel (May 22, 2026). Energy Storage Solutions: Connecticut Green Bank, February 2026. Permits: City of New Haven and the 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.