Public Service of New Hampshire Projects Increase in Default Service Rate for 2013

Public Service Company of New Hampshire has filed a preliminary projection of the default service rate for the period starting January 1, 2013, reflecting an increase in the rate.

Consistent with the procedure for the annual default service rate adjustment, PSNH's projection is provided on a preliminary basis using current market information, but it is not a formal request to establish the default service rate at a specific level. PSNH will formally propose a default service rate, and provide a rate calculation based on updated market information, prior to an anticipated hearing in December 2012.

PSNH's preliminary calculation of a projected energy service (default service) rate, prior to the inclusion of the cost of the Merrimack scrubber, is 7.99 cents per kWh.

Merrimack scrubber costs remain under review, but a temporary rate of 0.98 cents per kWh has been included in recent default service rates pending the review of the scrubber costs. The temporary scrubber rate of 0.98 cents per kWh as ordered in DE 11-250, Order No. 25,346, remains unchanged, PSNH said.

With the temporary scrubber costs included, the projected 2013 default service rate is 8.97 cents per kWh

The current default service rate, including temporary scrubber costs, is 7.11 cents per kWh.

The level of migration assumed in PSNH's rate calculation reflects the current actual level of approximately 40.0%. This value represents the actual current migration level on PSNH's system as of August 31, 2012