Utility Rates Surge Around the U.S.

If you think your electric bill was high this summer, wait till next year.

The Energy Department predicts that the average residential electricity bill will rise about 10% in 2009 after a 5% increase this year. Of course, those are not spread out evenly across the board, with costs varying from state to state -- and sometimes city to city -- based on a slew of factors.

Consumers throughout the Northeast have seen their rates rise dramatically in recent years due to the effects of de-regulation of the utility market there. Dense population and lack of new power lines and infrastructure to meet the region's energy demands also play a part in the higher cost.

Among the most expensive states in which to purchase electricity are Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire, according to the Department of Energy. To avoid sudden rate increases from deregulation, Maine's public utilities commission has even proposed becoming an "electricity island" separate from the rest of the Northeast -- one that gets its power from Canada instead. ...