In short: New London has about 28,100 people and sits in New London County. Connecticut Light & Power Co, City of Norwich and Groton Dept of Utilities serves different parts of New London County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 18.7¢ to 28.51¢ per kWh (EIA). Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,140 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is on the modest side, so price and incentives matter more.
This page covers what is local to New London: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our Connecticut energy guide and the wider area is covered in the Hartford guide.
New London at a glance
- Place: New London, New London County, Connecticut; about 28,081 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Connecticut Light & Power Co (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 28.51¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 77 minutes of power on normal days and 159 counting major storms, with 0.6 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just New London).
- Utility: City of Norwich (city-owned). Homes paid an average 22.78¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 288 minutes of power on normal days, with 1.4 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just New London).
- Utility: Groton Dept of Utilities (city-owned). Homes paid an average 18.7¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 22 minutes of power on normal days and 117 counting major storms, with 0.2 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just New London).
- Sun: 3.91 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 1.54 in December to 6.02 in July (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,140 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 690 cooling degree-days and 5,720 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating is the big load.
- Public charging: 90 ports at 38 locations in New London, 17 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Connecticut Light & Power Co is an investor-owned utility and served about 924,132 home customers in 2024; its 28.51¢ average was above the 24.16¢ statewide average for July 2026. City of Norwich is a city-owned utility and served about 18,870 home customers in 2024; its 22.78¢ average was below the 24.16¢ statewide average for July 2026. Groton Dept of Utilities is a city-owned utility and served about 12,284 home customers in 2024; its 18.7¢ average was below the 24.16¢ statewide average for July 2026. Those are utility-wide averages, not a quote for your address; your own bill is the real number.
For reliability, City of Norwich reported 288 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, more than the statewide figure of 73 (EIA-861). Utility-wide numbers hide a lot: a home at the end of a long rural line usually has more outages than the average.
Net metering, export rates and incentives are set at state level and by each utility. Start with the Connecticut guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in New London
- Heating load: a winter outage can stop a furnace blower, boiler pump or heat pump. List what your heat needs to run before choosing a generator or battery.
- Short outages: a portable power station covers phones, Wi-Fi, a CPAP and lights; a home battery switches over automatically.
Size your setup with the generator sizing tool and the battery backup calculator, and compare options in backup power. Generator safety (CPSC): outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust away from doors and windows, never in a garage, and battery-powered carbon monoxide alarms inside. A licensed electrician should install any transfer switch, with a permit; see generator installation.
Solar in New London
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,140 kWh a year in New London (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Connecticut Light & Power Co’s 2024 average of 28.51¢, that is about $325 a year per kW if all of it offsets your own use (an estimate, not a promise). Production swings with the seasons: July is the sunniest month at 6.02 and December the dimmest at 1.54, a 3.9-to-1 gap, so a battery or a bigger system helps in winter.
Check your own roof with the solar potential tool, see solar costs and net metering vs net billing, and read the steps in solar installation.
Batteries and EV charging
A home battery earns its place when outages are frequent, when your utility pays little for exported solar, or when evening prices are high; compare in home batteries and battery costs. New London has 90 public charging ports in the federal station list including 17 DC fast, but home charging is cheaper and easier: see the EV charging cost calculator and EV charger installation.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in New London: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
Solar, generator transfer switches and EV chargers normally need an electrical permit from the New London building or permitting department, or from New London County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for New London, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the Connecticut guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: Hartford energy guide, Norwich, Middletown, Meriden and New Britain, or the whole Connecticut energy guide.
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New London energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in New London?
Connecticut Light & Power Co, City of Norwich and Groton Dept of Utilities all serve parts of New London County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Connecticut Light & Power Co 28.51¢, City of Norwich 22.78¢, Groton Dept of Utilities 18.7¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in New London?
About 1,140 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 6,840 kWh. Shade, roof direction and tilt change this; run your address through the solar potential tool for a better number.
Will a home battery keep my heat on in an outage?
It can keep a furnace blower, boiler pump or a heat pump running for a while, but long cold outages drain a battery fast without solar to recharge it. Pair it with a generator or wood or propane heat if outages here run for days.
Do I need a permit for solar or a generator in New London?
Almost always an electrical permit for a transfer switch, solar or an EV charger, issued by the city or county where you live. Your licensed electrician or installer normally pulls it. Never connect a generator to your house wiring without a transfer switch.
Sources: EIA Form 861 (2024) for utility prices and outages; NASA POWER climatology (2001 to 2025) for sun and degree-days; FEMA National Risk Index for county hazards; AFDC station locator for public charging; Census Bureau for population. Estimates are ours and are not promises; see our editorial policy. Prices and programs change, so check each program page.