Maine Households to See Higher Power Bills in 2026

Many Central Maine Power customers will see their electric bills go up next year, but the increase isn’t actually coming from CMP.

The Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has approved a new Standard Offer supply rate that takes effect January 1, 2026. The Standard Offer covers the supply portion of your bill — the part that pays the companies that generate electricity. The delivery side of the bill, which goes to CMP for getting that power to your home or business, is not changing.

According to WGME 13, The PUC sets the Standard Offer each year through competitive bidding. After several years of stable or even lower prices, the commission says the 2026 increase reflects what’s happening in the energy market right now.

PUC Chair Philip Bartlett said rising energy costs are “real challenges for Maine households and businesses,” but noted the commission continues to look for the “lowest reasonable prices” in a difficult energy environment, the news station reported.

For residential customers, the Standard Offer will jump from 10.61 cents per kilowatt-hour to 12.72 cents. For the average CMP home using about 550 kilowatt-hours per month, that’s roughly an $11 increase on the monthly bill.

Most Mainers on CMP get their power through the Standard Offer by default, but residents can also choose a competitive energy supplier. Those plans may be cheaper or more expensive and often require signing a contract, WGME said.

Maine’s electric market changed 25 years ago when lawmakers required utilities to sell off their power-generating assets. Since then, companies like CMP no longer supply electricity, they only deliver it. They also do not set the supply rates; they simply pass along the cost on customers’ bills so people don’t receive two separate statements.

In a statement responding to the change, CMP pointed to deregulation as the reason customers will see higher bills in 2026.