Ansonia Police warn residents of power lines down after storms

ANSONIA - Due to the storms that passed through Ansonia earlier this evening there were widespread reports of trees down, debris in the roadway, and power lines down, Lt. Patrick Lynch said in a release. 

If you see a line down please do not approach the line, call the department so we can notify UI of the location. 

The following roads are closed as result of the storm: Jewett Street in the area of Vine Street with power lines down; Arbor Terrace with trees and power lines down; Glen Drive with trees and power lines down; and Caroline Street with trees and power lines down.

The roads have been blocked off - please do not travel on them, we are working with UI to get service restored.

This is a press release from Lt. Patrick Lynch.

Utility companies to hold Town Hall on energy rates at Ansonia Armory

 

Klarides-Ditria reminds consumers electricity supply costs to increase Jan.1

Recently, both Eversource and United Illuminating (UI) announced that electric supply rates would be up nearly 50% for the first six months of 2023, and natural gas prices have gone up by 25% in the last month and are expected to go higher. There are several components to these electricity cost increases, including the rising cost of natural gas (many of our electric generation facilities are powered by natural gas), pipeline capacity, and seasonal demand.   Unfortunately, there is not much you can do to change these underlying causes, but there are ways you can save energy and keep more of your hard-earned money. Most of us have taken steps to make our homes as energy efficient as possible, and every little bit helps. Regular cleaning and maintenance for water heaters, boilers, and heat pumps, and checking or adding insulation and making sure gaps and cracks are sealed to prevent cold air from getting in are all great ways to save energy and lower your monthly bills. One More Step Can Save Money Despite taking steps to seal our homes few of us have or take the time to understand the energy market and how it affects our bills.  In Connecticut, the electricity delivery market is regulated by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) but the supply market is not. Due to state law, Eversource and UI are prohibited from competing in the supply business, but there are several companies that offer electricity to consumers.   If you have never shopped for an electricity provider, please visit www.energizect.com to learn more and compare rates. Eversource and UI are required to provide default service on a pass-through basis, however, if customers do not choose a supplier, the utilities are required to procure "standard service” electricity for those customers.  For 2022, the delivery cost for Eversource was about 12.3c / kWh, and the supply cost was about 12c /kWh.  In a press release about the proposed rate increases, Eversource notes: “ ... the proposed Standard Service Rate for residential customers who receive their energy supply from Eversource would change from 12.1 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to 24.2 cents per kWh, compared to 11.5 cents per kWh last winter.” You can check prices from other suppliers on energizect.com, including some suppliers currently offering substantially lower rate for longer term contracts. Switching between suppliers takes some time and it can take 2-3 billing cycles for the utility to make the switch. Since the rate increases on default service will take effect from Jan. 1, now is the time to comparison shop. I hope this information was helpful.

Sincerely,

Valley Arts Council to host reception for Visions from Veterans exhibit

Main Street Gallery in Ansonia hosting Visions from Veterans exhibit

Ansonia to install double-bracket lights downtown, doubling illumination

Contributed photo

ANSONIA - The city has approved installation of 25 double-bracket lights on each of the existing Main Street and Kingston Drive vintage light poles, thus doubling current lighting capability.

When installation is completed by early spring, the Main Street corridor will be noticeably brighter to everyone. 

There will be no cost to the city for the new lights, brackets or installation. The only cost will be an estimated $6,000 annual increase in electricity from United Illuminating. 

This cost increase will be offset by the estimated $125,000 in annual electricity savings the city has just begun enjoying from the recently completed city-wide installation of more than 1,600 street lights to brighter, energy-saving 4,000 LEDs, also at no cost to taxpayers.

Mayor David S. Cassetti said adding the double-bracket lights was a creative and resourceful solution to brightening up Main Street, often noted as having a dull evening illumination.

The Main Street lighting issues date back to “the original vintage lamps installed by the previous administration and paid for by a grant received,” Cassetti said. 

“The lamps were spaced at 150 feet apart instead of the recommended 75 feet spacing,” he added. 

Without a grant, it would cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars to double up the light pole capacity. Adding double-lamps to each existing pole was the solution.

During Cassetti's first term in office, and through a grant received, the city upgraded West Main Street with new sidewalks, landscaping, and vintage light poles every 75 feet. “You can see the lighting difference on West Main Street with poles more closely spaced,” said Cassetti.

As a test in December UI installed a double-bracket lamp outside of City Hall with favorable feedback from the public and city officials.

This is a press release from the mayor's office.

UI to test system at Shelton substation; brief power outage possible

Sharing information from City of Ansonia Facebook page:

Announcement from UI: 
During the early morning hours of Saturday, Aug. 19, United Illuminating will be conducting system testing at its electrical substation in Shelton to maintain the reliability of its energy grid. 

During this procedure, which will be conducted between 3 and 5 a.m., customers in Shelton, Derby, and Ansonia may experience a brief power outage. The outage is expected to last less than five minutes. Customers may wish to check clocks and electronic devices that typically need to be reset following an outage. 

This work is part of UI’s ongoing commitment to providing a safe, reliable energy grid that’s capable of meeting the needs of its customers and communities now and into the future.

UI to inspect transmission lines in New Haven, Fairfield counties

Sharing from the City of Ansonia Facebook page:
"Please see the attached document from UI detailing a scheduled aerial inspection of UI Transmission rights-of-way. 

"The inspection will be done between June 29-July 3, 2017 by a low-flying helicopter over UI Transmission lines for compliance purposes. We are notifying you in anticipation of any inquiries to the police from members of the public or other parties."