United Illuminating

⚡ Overview

• The United Illuminating Company (UI) is a subsidiary of Avangrid (itself a part of Iberdrola). It distributes electricity exclusively in 17 towns across the greater Bridgeport and New Haven areas in Connecticut

• Founded in 1899, tracing back to 1881, UI has evolved through mergers and restructuring, eventually divesting its generation assets in 2000 due to state deregulation

🏢 Service Coverage & Infrastructure

• Delivers electricity to about 347,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers across a 335 sq mile area

• Manages roughly 9,600 miles of distribution lines and 139 miles of transmission lines, supported by 29 substations

• Owned and operated through Avangrid Networks, leveraging broader expertise and economies of scale

🔧 Role & Operations

• Acts as a regulated utility: controls transmission, distribution, metering, outage response, and billing.

• Customers can opt for competitive third-party suppliers for their electricity generation, while UI continues providing delivery services typical of deregulated markets

📱 Customer Experience & Tools

• Offers a mobile app and website for outage reporting, billing, account management, e-billing, and payment options

• High customer satisfaction: 4.6★ rating on Google Play and praised for ease of use

📈 Recent Developments & Regulation

• In March 2025, UI faced a rate cut of $100M, with regulators slashing its proposed $123M increase to $23M and imposing a $2M annual fine over delays cleaning up the English Station site

• Connecticut’s AG William Tong continues targeting UI's high rate requests and environmental liabilities

• CEO Frank Reynolds recently criticized regulators for low return expectations (~3.7% profit margin), claiming it limits investment in reliability and infrastructure

🌱 Projects & Community Engagement

• Recognized for emergency response (Edison Awards 2019 & 2021) .

• Actively involved in energy efficiency initiatives and local economic development—working with schools, small businesses, and downtown centers

• Social media emphasizes environmental investments and improving grid resiliency (e.g. pressing for under grounding vs overhead transmission) .

🛑 Controversies & Infrastructure Proposals

• UI proposed reconstructing overhead transmission lines between Fairfield and Bridgeport using tall steel monopoles (up to 195 ft). The Connecticut Siting Council issued a non-binding rejection, citing environmental and neighborhood impact; a final vote is expected in late June 2025

• Critics argue under grounding is more resilient and neighbor-friendly UI counters it would raise costs by ~$500M, burdening ratepayers .

📊 Why It Matters for Business Owners

• Delivery reliability – UI is your go-to for outage restoration, meter services, and infrastructure maintenance.

• Generation cost control – 83% of customers already use third-party suppliers; businesses can choose fixed-rate energy plans to stabilize expenses and potentially save money

• Regulatory influence – UI's attempts to raise delivery rates are subject to PURA scrutiny and legal challenges aiding in keeping bills in check.

• Community programs – UI supports local businesses via energy-efficiency rebates, budget billing, and streamlined processes helping mitigate costs directly.

✅

United Illuminating is a historically rooted, regulated electric distribution provider serving southern Connecticut. While not a power supplier, it plays a crucial delivery role, offering robust tools and reliability. Like many utilities, UI faces regulatory pressure over rate increases and infrastructure investments.

For business owners, UI ensures service continuity and offers opportunities to reduce supply costs via alternative energy suppliers and efficiency programs helpful in managing budgets and stabilizing utility spend.