Contact Ashland Electric

Customer service

(603) 968-3083

Monday to Friday, 8 a.m., 4:30 p.m. ET.

Outage / after-hours

(603) 968-3083

After hours, the line routes to on-call crews. If a wire is down or anyone is hurt, dial 911 first.

Office address

6 Collins Street, Ashland, NH 03217

Walk-in and mail-in payments accepted.

Website / email

ashland.nh.gov

Department directory and online payments via the Town of Ashland portal.

Utility fact sheet

Type
Municipal light plant (MLP)
Founded
1903
Meters served
~1,400
Service area
Town of Ashland only
Residential rate
~$0.16/kWh (2026)
Retail choice?
No (municipal, opted out)
Net metering
Yes, credit for excess solar
Governance
Elected board of commissioners

What you can do here

  • 1

    Start, stop or transfer service

    Call (603) 968-3083 or stop by 6 Collins St. A small connect fee and ID are required.

  • 2

    Pay your bill online

    Use the Town of Ashland online-payments portal, mail a check, or drop cash/check at the office.

  • 3

    Connect rooftop solar

    Ashland offers net metering for systems sized to your annual usage. Apply through the department before installation.

All New Hampshire utilities

About Ashland Electric Department

Ashland Electric Department is a municipal light plant (MLP), a not-for-profit utility owned and governed by the Town of Ashland. The department was established in 1903 and is one of the eight surviving NH municipal electric utilities, alongside Wolfeboro, Woodsville, Littleton, Hudson, New Hampton, Madbury, and Wolfeboro Falls. Together the eight munis serve roughly 16,000 meters out of ~720,000 NH meters statewide.

Because Ashland is a municipal, it sits outside the retail-choice market that applies to Eversource, Liberty and Unitil customers. The department buys wholesale power on the New England market, owns its own distribution lines and bills a single bundled rate, no separate supply and delivery charges. Decisions on rates, service connections and infrastructure are made by an elected board of electric commissioners, not by the NH PUC.

Day-to-day operations run out of the office at 6 Collins Street, Ashland NH 03217. The same staff handles billing, new connections and dispatches the on-call linemen who respond to outages. Ashland's bundled residential rate of about $0.16/kWh in 2026 is roughly 30% below the statewide IOU average.

How to pay your Ashland Electric bill

Online portal

Pay via the Town of Ashland online payments page using bank account or card.

By mail

Mail a check to Ashland Electric Department, 6 Collins Street, Ashland, NH 03217.

Drop box

After-hours drop box at the front of the office for check or money-order payments.

In person

Cash, check or money order at the office, Mon to Fri 8 a.m., 4:30 p.m.

Frequently asked questions

Can I switch to a competitive supplier on Ashland's lines?
No. Municipal light plants in NH opted out of retail choice. Ashland buys wholesale power on the New England market and bundles delivery and supply into a single rate. The trade-off: rates are typically well below the statewide IOU average, and decisions are made by an elected local board rather than the PUC.
How do I start service when I move in?
Call (603) 968-3083 or stop by 6 Collins Street at least 2 business days before your move-in date. Bring photo ID, your move-in date and the service address. A small connect fee and possibly a deposit apply to tenants without a prior payment history.
Does Ashland support solar net metering?
Yes. Ashland offers net metering for residential rooftop systems sized to the customer's annual consumption. Excess generation is credited at the department's avoided-cost rate, not at the full retail rate. Apply through the office before installation.
Why are Ashland's rates lower than Eversource's?
Three reasons: Ashland is not-for-profit (no shareholder return baked into the rate), its distribution system is small and largely depreciated, and it buys wholesale power directly rather than through a six-month default-service auction with risk premium. The trade-off is a much smaller crew for storm restoration.
Who do I call for a downed power line?
Call (603) 968-3083. After business hours the line routes to the on-call lineman. If anyone is hurt or a wire is on the ground, dial 911 first. Do not approach a downed line; assume it is energized.
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