HECO to raise monthly bill by $4.89
The equipment being installed by HECO is a step toward grid modernization that will help address some of the issues preventing the utility from accommodating greater amounts of renewable energy on its grid
The average Hawaiian Electric Co. bill will go up by $4.89 per month after the state Public Utility Commission approved the increase Friday.
The PUC said the increase is part of the plan to "decouple, or break the link between sales and total electric revenues and thereby removes the utilities’ disincentives to increase energy efficiency and integrate customer-sited generation, such as rooftop photovoltaic systems."
In addition, the increase will compensate HECO for higher utility costs and infrastructure investment, the PUC said.
The $4.89 per month increase applies to the typical HECO customer using 600 kilowatt hours of electricity per month. PUC also approved similar increases for the Hawaii Electric Light Co. on the Big Island and the Maui Electric Co. that serves Maui, Lanai and Molokai.
