Your electric bill is going up next year. Here's why.

MAINE, USA — There are few guarantees in life. Taxes and death are the common ones, but electric bills going up may join that list for Mainers.

This week, the Maine Public Utilities Commission announced the new standard electricity offer rates for 2026. According to Phil Bartlett, chair of MPUC, more than 90 percent of Mainers use this rate.

There are three electric utility providers in Maine: Central Maine Power , Versant’s Bangor Hydro District , and Versant’s Maine Public District . In 2026, the standard offer will increase on average $0.025 a kilowatt per hour. Over the course of a year, that can cost a household $150 to $204 extra a year, according to Heather Sanborn, Maine Public Advocate.

“I had that sinking feeling because this is really going to hit Mainers very hard,”