In short: Fairfield County has three kinds of utility. Stamford, Danbury, Greenwich and most of Norwalk are Eversource (about 28.5¢ per kWh in 2024, 159 outage minutes). The town of Fairfield is United Illuminating (about 34¢, 122 minutes). Parts of Norwalk have their own town-run utilities. Coastal flooding is the area’s standout hazard.
This page covers what is local to Fairfield County: which utility you have and what that changes, 2026 rate cuts, flood and storm 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.
Fairfield County at a glance
- Eversource (Stamford, Danbury, Greenwich, most of Norwalk): about 28.5¢ per kWh on average in 2024 for homes on its own supply; 159 outage minutes per customer with major storms, 77 without (EIA-861, 2024, Eversource’s whole Connecticut area). Standard Service supply: 11.58¢ from July 1, 2026.
- United Illuminating (Fairfield, and Bridgeport, Stratford, Trumbull, Shelton and Easton): about 34.0¢ per kWh; 122 outage minutes with major storms, 49 without (EIA-861). Standard Service supply: 11.95¢ from July 1, 2026.
- Town-run utilities in Norwalk: South Norwalk Electric and Water serves parts of the city (CT DEEP), and the Third Taxing District’s East Norwalk Electric Department serves East Norwalk.
- Sun: about 3.9 kWh per square meter per day in Stamford (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,130 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Top hazards: the Greater Bridgeport planning region, which includes Fairfield, is rated “very high” for coastal flooding. The Western Connecticut region (Stamford, Norwalk, Danbury, Greenwich) is “relatively high” for coastal flooding, hurricanes, ice storms, strong wind, inland flooding and winter weather (FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025).
- Public charging: 281 ports in Stamford, 109 in Norwalk, 90 in Fairfield, 68 in Danbury and 61 in Greenwich (AFDC, October 3, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Neighboring towns here can have different utilities, so check the name on your bill before you compare quotes. For Eversource and UI homes, the supply part of the bill can be Standard Service or a licensed supplier; PURA’s official rate board on EnergizeCT shows current offers, and you are not required to switch. In 2024, about 21% of Eversource households and 18% of UI households bought from a supplier (EIA-861).
- Eversource towns: new home solar enrolls in RRES with Eversource (Netting or Buy-All; terms on our state page), and Energy Storage Solutions covers batteries. Rates fell in 2026: about 4.3¢ per kWh off delivery charges on May 1 and a lower supply rate on July 1, about $38 a month or 18% for an average home (Office of Consumer Counsel).
- Fairfield (UI): same state programs, run with UI. UI’s cuts were larger in cents: about 4.9¢ per kWh on May 1 and a supply rate down from 13.70¢ to 11.95¢ on July 1, about $50 a month or 18% for an average UI home.
- South Norwalk and East Norwalk: the state solar and battery programs run through Eversource and UI, so ask your town utility about its own rules for solar, batteries and EV charging. East Norwalk’s utility is in a five-year rate plan, with increases of about 3 to 5% from March 1, 2026.
- EV charging programs: Eversource and UI run the state’s EV charging program, but its residential terms changed for 2026. Check EnergizeCT or your utility before counting on a rebate.
Backup power in Fairfield County
Day-to-day outages are short for both big utilities. The planning case is a coastal storm: FEMA rates coastal flooding “very high” around Fairfield and “relatively high” from Greenwich to Norwalk, with hurricanes, strong wind and ice storms close behind. Inland, in Danbury and the northern towns, winter storms and ice matter more than surge.
- Shoreline homes: keep generators, batteries and inverters above the expected flood level, and plan for the sump pump. A home battery handles short outages quietly; a standby generator covers multi-day storms. Your building office can tell you the flood-zone rules for equipment.
- Apartments and condos in Stamford and Norwalk: a portable power station keeps essentials running without fumes or a permit.
- Larger homes with wells or heat pumps: size the backup for the biggest loads with the generator sizing tool or the battery backup calculator, 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. Wiring backup into the house needs a licensed electrician and a permit; see generator installation.
Solar in Fairfield County
By our rough estimate, each kW of panels makes about 1,130 kWh a year here. At 2024 average prices, that was worth about $322 a year per kW to an Eversource home and about $385 to a UI home in Fairfield (estimates, not promises; the 2026 rate cuts lower both somewhat). So the same roof pays back faster in Fairfield than in Stamford. Trees can shade a roof a lot, so check your roof with the solar potential tool and test quotes in the solar savings calculator.
If you are on one of Norwalk’s town utilities, RRES, which runs through Eversource and UI, may not apply; get the utility’s own export rules in writing before you sign. For the steps from contract to switch-on, see solar installation.
Batteries
For Eversource and UI homes, Energy Storage Solutions pays $30 per kWh upfront, or $130 per kWh on “grid edge” circuits (from April 1, 2026), plus $300 to $550 per kW a year for 10 years for sharing the battery at peak times. 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 them. Amounts change, so confirm on the program page.
Events can fall in summer or winter. Ask how much charge stays reserved for an outage, particularly when a coastal storm is on the way. See home battery installation and battery cost.
EV charging
Our five cities had 609 public ports between them in October 2026, 281 of them in Stamford (AFDC). At home, at about 30 kWh per 100 miles, charging costs roughly $8.55 per 100 miles at Eversource’s 2024 average price and about $10.20 at UI’s (estimates; lower at 2026 rates). 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 Stamford: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- Stamford: Building Department, Government Center, 888 Washington Boulevard, 7th floor. It issues permits, reviews plans and inspects work under the Connecticut building and electrical codes, with its own electrical inspectors. Plan reviews are by appointment.
- Norwalk, Danbury and Greenwich: all take applications through the regional online permit center run by the Capitol Region Council of Governments, as does Stamford.
- Fairfield: the town’s building department issues the permits.
- Who does the work: a Connecticut-licensed electrical or solar contractor pulls the electrical permit, and your utility must approve solar and battery interconnection. Check homeowner association and historic district rules before roof work, and flood-zone rules on the shoreline.
Cities we cover
- Stamford
- Norwalk
- Fairfield
- Danbury
- Greenwich
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Fairfield County energy FAQ
Is the town of Fairfield on Eversource or UI?
UI. United Illuminating’s 17 towns include Fairfield, Bridgeport, Stratford, Trumbull, Shelton and Easton in this part of the state (Connecticut Siting Council). Stamford, Danbury, Greenwich and most of Norwalk are Eversource. The name on your bill settles it.
Who is my utility in Norwalk?
It depends on the neighborhood. Most of Norwalk is Eversource, but South Norwalk Electric and Water serves parts of the city and the Third Taxing District runs East Norwalk’s electric department. Town utilities set their own rates and solar rules, so ask them before you get quotes.
Does flood risk affect where a generator or battery can go?
It should. FEMA rates coastal flooding “very high” around Fairfield and “relatively high” along the rest of the shore. Equipment in a flood zone may have to sit above a set height, and a flooded generator or battery is a hazard. Ask your building department and installer before choosing the spot.
Is solar worth more in Fairfield than in Stamford?
Usually yes, because UI’s power cost more: about 34¢ per kWh in 2024 against Eversource’s 28.5¢. By our estimate, a kW of panels offset about $385 a year in Fairfield and $322 in Stamford. Shade, roof direction and your own rate matter more than the town, so compare quotes using your own bill.
Sources
Utility prices, outages, supply shopping and home solar counts: EIA-861, 2024 data. UI towns: Connecticut Siting Council, Docket 483. Norwalk utilities: CT DEEP and the Third Taxing District. 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 Stamford 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.