NH HB1745

Public utilities would be prohibited from recovering through customer rates any costs associated with contested proceedings before the Public Utilities Commission, including attorneys' fees, expert witness fees, and consultant costs

Utilities could not pass on to ratepayers any costs for membership, dues, sponsorships, or contributions to business or industry trade associations organized under section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code

Advertising, marketing, and promotional costs would be barred from rate recovery unless the Commission determines they directly benefit ratepayers and are necessary for utility service

The bill takes effect January 1, 2027, and would result in an indeterminable decrease in utility costs for state, county, and local government customers

Using Eversource's most recent rate case ($2 million in outside legal and consultant costs) as an example, the state could save approximately $20,000 per comparable case based on its 1% share of total electricity sales