Volume 15, Number 19
Friday, July 31, 2020
www.northhavencitizen.com
EVERSOURCE BILLING
Customers petition against rate spike Kevin Casey, of Southington, looks over his electric bill Monday in front of his Visconti Avenue residence. Casey was shocked at the steep spike in the delivery rate from Eversource. Dave Zajac, Record-Journal
BMX BIKING AT FALCON FIELD IN MERIDEN Pete Pereira, of North Haven, goes over the jumps during a gate practice for BMX racers at the Falcon BMX track at Falcon Field in Meriden on Monday, July Aaron Flaum, Record-Journal 20.
By Mary Ellen Godin Record-Journal staff
Southington resident Kevin Casey saw his July electric bill from Eversource and was shocked at the steep spike in the delivery rate. His electricity usage was $58 and delivery was $102. “Even before the pandemic our delivery rate was high,” Casey said. “But nobody could see any reason for this.” Social media buzzed recently with thousands of angry Connecticut residents complaining about high delivery
charges during a time when many people are working from home to halt the spread of COVID-19, while others have lost jobs or are working reduced hours. Casey grew frustrated with the numbers of people complaining without taking action. So he started a petition Friday that names several lawmakers and representatives from the state’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, or PURA. As of Monday the petition had more than 57,600 signatures. See Eversource, A2
Animal shelters see increase in adoption requests By Jessica Simms Special to the Record-Journal
When the pandemic hit, adopting and fostering animals became more popular. With more spare time and being home more often, many decided it was time to bring an animal into their life. “I think that people’s lives have slowed down a bit so they have more time, perhaps they have more time to consider a dog that needs a bit more training and the investment of time they might not have had,” said Karen Annis, board member at the Meriden Humane Society. “I think that we’ve all recognized the need to share a life with somebody.”
With more people interested in adopting and fostering, shelters are making sure that they find the right home for animals. At The Animal Haven, a no-kill private shelter in North Haven, the adoption process has finally slowed and they are not taking on any new foster homes. See Shelters, A10