Hardest-Hit Customers Can Apply for CL&P Credit

Connecticut Light & Power announced on Wednesday that it is now accepting applications for a credit of between $100 and $200 from customers who were without power for more than a week after the Oct. 29 snowstorm. More than 800,000 customers were affected by the powerful storm, and some were without power for up to 11 days.

The credit will be applied to the February 2012 CL&P bill, but it only applies to those who were still without power as of 12 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5.

Those customers can apply at www.cl-p.com or by calling 888-566-9257. The applications must be received by Jan. 31.

Money for the credits comes from a $30 million fund created by Northeast Utilities as a "goodwill gesture."

"The credit was not intended to be a reimbursement for losses during the storm, but rather a gesture of goodwill to the approximately last 25 percent of our customers to get power back — those without power a week or more," said Sharon Eberman, director of Customer Experience Operations for CL&P and Yankee Gas.  "We wanted to make sure that we would reach a large number of customers, but also that the credit would be a meaningful amount."

The credit figure was determined by looking at the average CL&P monthly bill, which is about $123, the utility said.

"We acknowledge that the credit system is not perfect, and that there will be people that are unhappy with the way in which we set the cut off and are administering the fund," Eberman said.  "We hope that most of our customers will recognize the fund for what it is — our sincere attempt to show that we care about our customers."