These are some of our most frequently asked questions to our customer service staff, and the answers to those questions.

Our Customer Service Center is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to meet your needs.

If you would like to speak to one of our representatives, please call the appropriate number below:

Calling from Hartford area: 947-2000
Calling from Meriden: 860-947-2000
All other areas: 1-800-286-2000

CL&P is proud to offer you premier customer service that includes a Customer Service Center available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Call us toll-free at 1-800-286-2000 (947-2000 in the Hartford area; 860-947-2000 from Meriden) to:

	Request new service
	Reconnect or disconnect service
	Obtain your account balance and payment history
	Make changes to your account information
	Report a power outage
	Discuss credit and collection issues
	Report a malfunctioning streetlight or flood light

For callers with touch-tone phones, this number will also allow you to access our automated voice unit (VRU) to get information on your account or to report an outage automatically.

We have TTY/TDD telephone access for our hearing-impaired or speech-impaired customers. This service can be reached by dialing 1-800-842-9710, and is available 24 hours a day, 365 days per year.

At CL&P, we use the latest technology and procedures to track storms and restore power. You can help us restore your service faster by calling us at 1-800-286-2000 (947-2000 in the Hartford area or 860-947-2000 from Meriden) when your electricity goes out. When you call, our customer service representatives may ask you a number of questions to help us determine the location of the outage and to identify any hazardous conditions. Our automated response system (VRU) is a quick, accurate, and easy way to report a power outage.

There are two other ways to reach us:

By E-Mail

Please fill out our contact us form.

Note: The Customer Service Internet e-mail is reviewed only during normal business hours, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday excluding holidays. Please do not use this mailbox to report emergency situations.

By Mail

If you prefer to write, be sure to include your account number and as much information as you can about the question or problem. Please address your correspondence to:

Connecticut Light & Power
Customer Service Center
P.O. Box 270
Hartford, CT 06141-0270

This page link will take you to our page titled "How To Read Your Meter." By reading your own meter, you can keep track of how much electricity you use, and see how well you are conserving energy. Conservation can lead to lower energy bills.

If your meter is located inside and it is inconvenient to have someone at home when the meter reader calls, you may phone in your reading anytime by calling us at 1-800-286-2000 (947-2000 in the Hartford area; 800-947-2000 in the Meriden area.) You will need to have your account number handy.

When a CL&P representative comes to your home, he or she will be carrying an official identification badge. This badge includes the representative's name and photo, and the CL&P logo.

If someone claiming to be a CL&P representative comes to your home, please feel free to request to see his or her badge. If the person claiming to represent us does not have a badge, DO NOT allow that person to enter your home, and immediately report the incident to the local police. If the person does have a badge but you still have doubts, please call us at 1-800-286-2000 (947-2000 in the Hartford area or 860-947-2000 from Meriden). A customer service representative can determine if any work is scheduled at your address.

There are occasions when we are unable to read your meter, such as bad weather or access problems. When this happens, we will estimate your bill based on your past energy usage and the time of year. The next actual meter reading will give us an exact figure for your usage, and we will adjust your next bill to reflect any amount over or under our estimate. Your bill will always indicate when a reading has been estimated.

Here are the most important billing terms and what they mean:

Customer Charge - The basic cost of providing service, such as metering, meter reading, and billing. These fixed costs are unaffected by the actual amount of electricity that you use.

kWh - kWh stands for kilowatt-hour, a basic unit of electricity usage. Example: 10 - 100 watt light bulbs burning for one hour is equal to 1 kWh. (10 x 100 watts = 1,000 (kilo = 1,000) = 1 kilowatt x 1 hour = 1 kWh.)

kW - kW stands for kilowatt, also referred to as Demand, the greatest 15 minute electrical requirement occurring in a bill period. Example: A meter that services an account that only has 10 - 1,000 watt light fixtures has a demand of 10 kW. (10 x 1,000 watts = 10,000 watts (kilo = 1,000 = 10 kW.)

Peak - Period of time when the need or demand for electricity on the company's system is high, normally during the day, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

Off-Peak - Period of time when the need or demand for electricity on the company's system is low, such as late evenings, weekends, and holidays.

To help you make a decision regarding your power supplier, we have separated the costs that make up your total bill. Most important, we've separated the power generation portion from the power delivery portion. By listing these costs separately, you will be able to compare prices from power suppliers who compete for your business. These changes to your bill do not affect the amount of your bill. Your bill is still based on your electricity usage and the current regulated pricing structure.

There are a number of variables that can cause your electricity bill to fluctuate each month. For example, the use of an air conditioner during the summer or electric heat during the winter can significantly increase the amount of your bill. In addition, the number of days in the billing period, or changes in the number of people in your household, can affect your bill.

Aside from the efficiency of your central heating system, the following appliances are likely to be the biggest energy users in your home:

	Portable space heaters
	Electric water heaters
	Air conditioners
	Refrigerators
	Dehumidifiers
	Water bed heaters

You can save money by making wise energy choices and purchases. It is important to remember that energy costs mount up over time. For that reason, it is important to look at the cost to run an appliance over its lifetime.