7 July—Despite what the utilities’ monthly billing statements don’t tell you and their websites may obfuscate or contradict, residential customers in Connecticut cannot and may not—repeat, cannot and may not—be charged an additional fee for paying electric, gas, and water bills with a credit card. The utilities include but are not limited to Eversource and United Illuminating for electricity; Aquarion (currently owned by Eversource) and Connecticut Water for water; and Eversource and Connecticut Natural Gas for gas. Yes, Eversource has its greedy monopoly hands in everything.

Businesses that unlawfully charge extra for payment by credit card may call the additional amount a transaction fee, a processing fee, a convenience fee, or whatever they think can hide the illegal surcharge. Restaurants are particularly adept practitioners of the shady art.

On the other hand, it’s perfectly legal for businesses to offer discounts for cash payment; and the cash-discount notice must be “prominently” posted, according to the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), at the retail location or on the website. A few businesses—notably filling stations—post cash-discount notices and many retail businesses are willing to negotiate for cash.

Sadly, public utilities in Connecticut don’t offer cash discounts.

It’s no surprise the utilities don’t publicize that they don’t (can’t) charge extra for payment by credit card, since it eats into their excessive profits. And the Aquarion website warns that there’s a $1.95 fee which, however, is not applied to the payment. You wonder why the state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) doesn’t make the obstinate utilities do the right thing and correct the misinformation and even publicize the no-fee rule that’s been in place for several years.

In all events, if you’re not yet doing it, pay your utility bills by credit card. You’ll like it, not in the least because the monopoly utilities won’t like it. And assuming your credit card offers cash back or other promotional incentives, you’ll like it even more.

Next, we have to work on the state and municipalities to accept tax and other payments by credit card without fees. And why stop at Connecticut?