Stratham has contracted with The Community Power Coalition of NH to provide default energy supply services in pursuit of lower electric rates and more energy supply options. Unitil will continue to deliver your power and manage billing.
For current rates and FAQs, visit the program website here.
The Town of Stratham launched a community power aggregation program in early 2024 and has saved residents north of $400,000 collectively during the first year of operation. We have gone through 2 periods of rate change in 2024, 3 periods of rate change in 2025, and have new rates starting as of 2/1/2026.
In February 2025, the Unitil's default ‘energy supply rate’ was lower than the Stratham default ‘community power rate.’ This trend has continued throughout the last year and holds true in the current rate period of February 1, 2026 – August 1, 2026.
The table below summarizes the Stratham residential rates relative to Unitil since the launch of Community Power:
| Period | Stratham ($/kWh Rates) | Unitil ($/kWh Rates) | Monthly Savings* (650 kWh usage) | Rate Period Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2024 - July 2024 | $0.081 | $0.107 | $16.90 | $101.40 |
| Aug 2024 - Jan 2025 | $0.086 | $0.105 | $12.35 | $74.10 |
| Feb 2025 | $0.089 | $0.083 | ($3.90) | ($3.90) |
| Mar 2025 - July 2025 | $0.097 | $0.083 | ($9.10) | ($45.50) |
| Aug 2025 - Jan 2026 | $0.137 | $0.118 | ($12.74) | ($76.44) |
| Feb 2026 - July 2026 | $0.149 | $0.121 | ($18.73) | ($112.36) |
*Per household, estimated 650 kWh/month.
Community Power is about Local Control and Customer Choice, with a key concept being that participation will reduce costs while increasing options. The Stratham Energy Commission continues to explore all options for achieving lower energy costs for residents and businesses in town.
Stratham residents and businesses have options when it comes to managing the commodity cost ‘supply portion’ of their electric bill:
If you have any comments or questions, please reach out to the Stratham Energy Commission.
