HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A year after Hurricane Irene knocked out power to millions across the Northeast, utilities and regulators are still sparring over how to divide repair and restoration costs between ratepayers and utilities.

With memories of spoiled food, cold showers and meals in the dark still fresh in customers' minds, state regulators are under pressure to limit reimbursements to utilities that submitted requests for rate increases totaling tens of millions of dollars.

Nowhere has the conflict been more emotional than in Connecticut. More than 800,000 customers of Connecticut Light & Power, a unit of Northeast Utilities, lost power in each of two storms, first with Irene and two months later with a freak October snowstorm. Elected officials, responding to anger from constituents over outages that lasted a week or longer, looked for ways to punish the utility.

Ratepayers will ultimately pay the tab for replacing utility poles, restringing downed wires, trimming or removing trees, and other cleanup costs. But setting rates — a long, legal process even in the best of circumstances — is taking longer with some state regulators, because of the extent of the damage or because a few utilities are combining financing for capital upgrades with storm recovery costs.

Andy Pusateri, an analyst at Edward Jones, said utilities will likely bear more repair costs in response to outcries from ratepayers.

"It's partly politics, partly the costs are a lot," he said.

In New Jersey, where Irene caused more than $1 billion in damage and power outages affected nearly 2 million customers, the Board of Public Utilities was ordered by Gov. Chris Christie to assess how well the state's electric utilities performed during Irene. It found restoration efforts by First Energy Corp.'s Jersey Central Power & Light deficient.

A company spokesman said it is working to address the problems and is cooperating with the rate review.

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley has asked state regulators to fine NStar $9.7 million for failing to adequately prepare, respond and communicate during Irene. Nstar President Werner Schweiger said the utility was among the first to restore power and sent crews to help other utilities.

In Connecticut, regulators have warned Connecticut Light & Power that a rate increase request could be reduced unless improvements are made in how the utility responds to storms.

"They're on notice," said John W. Betkoski, vice chairman of Connecticut's Public Utilities Regulatory Authority.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Attorney General George Jepsen also used their leverage in a proposed $5 billion purchase of Boston's NStar by Northeast Utilities, the parent company of Connecticut Light & Power. Connecticut and Massachusetts had to sign off on the deal, giving the two states an opportunity to impose concessions from Northeast Utilities.

The utility agreed to write off $40 million of its $110.5 million storm restoration costs in Connecticut and to not even ask for a rate increase until Dec. 1, 2014, at the earliest.

Irene made landfall at North Carolina on Aug. 27, 2011, and plowed north, wreaking havoc across the Northeast as a tropical storm by knocking down trees and power lines, flooding communities, and damaging roads and bridges.

The storm left more than 5 million people without electricity along the Eastern Seaboard.

However the recovery cost is apportioned, a New Hampshire legislator who has tried and failed to block rate increases knows who ultimately will pay the tab.

"The ratepayers get it in the neck all the time," said Republican Rep. John Reagan.

David Grumhaus Jr., an analyst at Copia Capital LLC in Chicago, said the cost to repair storm damage is almost always covered by the ratepayer. The alternative — charging it to shareholders — would reduce the value of utilities' shares, making the companies less attractive to investors and depriving utilities of capital, he said.

"Somehow, they're going to exact that pound of flesh from the customer because that's how it's paid," Grumhaus said.

For the four subsidiaries of Northeast Utilities — New England's biggest utility — repair and restoration costs totaled $144 million, spokeswoman Caroline Allen Pretyman said. Customers of Public Service of New Hampshire will pay 12 cents a month for the utility to recover $7.1 million over four years, she said.

Depending on which utility they depend on, Vermont ratepayers will pay widely different amounts. In southern Vermont, where Irene was most destructive, Central Vermont Public Service Corp. won permission to charge $7.5 million, or $2.23 a month for customers who use an average of 600 kilowatt-hours a month.

Green Mountain Power spent $2.3 million and may recover about $1.4 million from customers over 12 months. The surcharge is a little more than a half-percent increase, or 54 cents more on a monthly bill of $100.

Rate increases may appear to be small, but their cumulative impact is not, Connecticut regulator Betkoski said.

"When you have 54 cents here and a dollar there, all these charges add up," he said. "You look at people on a fixed income with economic hardship. People are very vocal about any kind of increase."

____

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers David Gram in Montpelier, Vt., Samantha Henry in Newark, N.J., and Shannon Young in Boston.

Earlier on HuffPost:

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  • Tom Scorsone

    In this photo taken Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012, in Totowa, N.J., Tom Scorsone, of the Passaic Valley Sewerage CommissionÂ's River Restoration Department, works on cleaning up debris out of the Passaic River. Flooding caused Irene, which hit New Jersey with tropical storm strength in 2011, forced blockage along the river as it swept through communities along the Passaic river. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

  • FILE - In this file photo of Aug. 28, 2011, a man surveys the floodwaters on ManhattanÂ's West Side after Hurricane Irene, downgraded to a tropical storm, hit New York. Two years before Irene created the prospect of a flooding nightmare in New York City, 100 scientists and engineers met to sketch out a bold defense: Massive, moveable barriers to shield the city from a storm-stirred sea.(AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File)

  • n this photo taken Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012, in Totowa, N.J., crews from the Passaic Valley Sewerage CommissionÂ's River Restoration Department work on cleaning up debris out of the Passaic River. Flooding caused Irene, which hit New Jersey with tropical storm strength in 2011, forced blockage along the river as it swept through communities along the Passaic river. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

  • FILE - In this Aug. 28, 2011, file photo, people near New York's Brooklyn Bridge wade through floodwaters brought on by Hurricane Irene, which weakened to a tropical storm just before hitting New York's Coney Island. Two years prior to Irene, 100 scientists and engineers met to sketch out a bold defense: massive, moveable barriers to shield New York City from a storm-stirred sea. The network would protect Manhattan and parts of the four outer boroughs and New Jersey, but not some vulnerable swaths of Brooklyn and Queens. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

  • In this photo taken Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012, in Totowa, N.J., crews from the Passaic Valley Sewerage CommissionÂ's River Restoration Department work on cleaning up debris out of the Passaic River. Flooding caused Irene, which hit New Jersey with tropical storm strength in 2011, forced blockage along the river as it swept through communities along the Passaic river. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

  • FILE - In this Aug. 27, 2011, file photo, waves crash against the Steel Pier in Atlantic City, N.J. as Hurricane Irene approached the northeast. Two years before Irene, 100 scientists and engineers met to sketch out a bold defense: Massive, moveable barriers to shield New York City from a storm-stirred sea. One strategy entailed an estimated $9.1 billion set of barriers at three critical points around the city's waterways. The network would protect Manhattan and parts of the four outer boroughs and New Jersey, but not some vulnerable swaths of Brooklyn and Queens. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

  • FILE - In this Aug. 28, 2011, file photo, waves crash into the pier at Brooklyn's Coney Island as Hurricane Irene, downgraded to a tropical storm, approaches New York. Irene proved not to be the catastrophe forecasters feared in the city, but in the wake of last year's near-miss, elected officials and community groups are pressing for an evaluation of whether sea barriers make sense for New York, and the city has been gathering information, while stressing that the barriers represent only one of many ideas under study.(AP Photo/Craig Ruttle, File)

  • FILE - In this Aug. 28, 2011, file photo, a biker makes his way around a taxi stranded in floodwaters of Hurricane Irene, downgraded to a tropical storm, in New York. Two years before Irene created the prospect of a flooding nightmare in New York City, 100 scientists and engineers met to sketch out a bold defense: massive, moveable barriers to shield the city from a storm-stirred sea.(AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File)

  • In this March 20, 2012, file photo, silt from Tropical Storm Irene covers a farmers' field Tuesday, March 20, 2012 in Waitsfield, Vt. A year after Hurricane Irene tore through farms from North Carolina to Vermont, some farmers are still grappling with the aftermath. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

  • FILE-In this Aug. 30, 2011, file photo, farmer's fields are flooded from Tropical Storm Irene in this aerial view on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011 in Rutland, Vt. A year after Hurricane Irene tore through farms from North Carolina to Vermont, some farmers are still grappling with the aftermath. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

  • FILE-In this Aug. 29, 2011, file photo, water covers Main St. in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene in Waterbury, Vt. Vermont has become a national leader in how to respond to natural disasters, Gov. Peter Shumlin says, and thereÂ's little heÂ'd change about the stateÂ's handling of flooding after Irene. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

  • FILE - In this Oct. 14, 2011, file photo, an excavator works in the White River in Stockbridge, Vt. Tropical Storm Irene had a major effect on Vermont,s rivers. Hurricane Irene and its remnants raked the Caribbean, the eastern U.S. and Canada for more than a week a year ago. Though it never hit the U.S. as anything stronger than a minimal hurricane, it ranks among the costliest in history, causing more than $5.3 billion in damage, and killed at least 67 people in all. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

  • In this Aug. 17, 2012 photo, a sign remembers Tropical storm Irene in East Granville, Vt. A year ago, Vermont was devastated by the storm. Hard lessons have been learned in the year since Irene sent sedans bobbing down rivers, swept away historic covered bridges, put millions in the dark and killed more than 65 people all along the Eastern Seaboard. Responses range from personal gestures, like buying a home generator, to statewide policy changes, like the tightening of utility regulations. Many of the reactions are based on the belief that while Irene surprised areas more used to blizzards than tropical weather, future storms are inevitable. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

  • FILE-In this Aug. 30, 2011, file photo, workers begin repair to damage by Tropical Storm Irene on U.S. Route 4 in Mendon, Vt. Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin hailed the reopening of U.S Route 4 in such a short time. Vermont has become a national leader in how to respond to natural disasters, Gov. Peter Shumlin says, and thereÂ's little heÂ'd change about the stateÂ's handling of flooding after Irene. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

  • FILE-In this Aug. 29, 2011, file photo, Nina Brennan, right, and Phyllis Berry clean mud from in front of the Proud Flower store in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene in Waterbury, Vt. Hard lessons have been learned in the year since Irene sent sedans bobbing down rivers, swept away historic covered bridges, put millions in the dark and killed more than 65 people all along the Eastern Seaboard. Responses range from personal gestures, like buying a home generator, to statewide policy changes, like the tightening of utility regulations. Many of the reactions are based on the belief that while Irene surprised areas more used to blizzards than tropical weather, future storms are inevitable. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

  • FILE -In this Oct. 31, 2011, file photo, a mobile home sits partially demolished by Tropical Storm Irene in Berlin, Vt. A year ago, Vermont was devastated by the storm. Hard lessons have been learned in the year since Irene sent sedans bobbing down rivers, swept away historic covered bridges, put millions in the dark and killed more than 65 people all along the Eastern Seaboard. Responses range from personal gestures, like buying a home generator, to statewide policy changes, like the tightening of utility regulations. Many of the reactions are based on the belief that while Irene surprised areas more used to blizzards than tropical weather, future storms are inevitable. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

  • In this Aug. 17, 2012 photo, Janet Lumbra stands outside the recreational trailer where she lives in East Granville, Vt. For some, there will be block parties and parades. For others, a moment of silence. Or it might be just another day of struggling to clean up the mess. But if thereÂ's one unifying event to mark the first anniversary of Irene, it'll probably be the 30 seconds of ringing of bells in churches and town halls across Vermont that Gov. Peter Shumlin has requested for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, a year to the day after the storm changed Vermont forever.

  • FILE-In this Aug. 28, 2011, file photo, rescue personnel bring stranded residents to shore in Montpelier, Vt. A year ago, Vermont was devastated by Tropical Storm Irene. Hard lessons have been learned in the year since Irene sent sedans bobbing down rivers, swept away historic covered bridges, put millions in the dark and killed more than 65 people all along the Eastern Seaboard. Responses range from personal gestures, like buying a home generator, to statewide policy changes, like the tightening of utility regulations. Many of the reactions are based on the belief that while Irene surprised areas more used to blizzards than tropical weather, future storms are inevitable. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

  • In this Aug. 17, 2012 photo, the destroyed home of Janet Lumbra is seen in East Granville, Vt. For some, there will be block parties and parades. For others, a moment of silence. Or it might be just another day of struggling to clean up the mess. But if thereÂ's one unifying event to mark the first anniversary of Irene, it'll probably be the 30 seconds of ringing of bells in churches and town halls across Vermont that Gov. Peter Shumlin has requested for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, a year to the day after the storm changed Vermont forever.

  • FILE-In this Aug. 30, 2011, file photo, destruction on Route 4 from Tropical Storm Irene is seen in Killington, Vt. A year ago, Vermont was devastated by Tropical Storm Irene. Hard lessons have been learned in the year since Irene sent sedans bobbing down rivers, swept away historic covered bridges, put millions in the dark and killed more than 65 people all along the Eastern Seaboard. Responses range from personal gestures, like buying a home generator, to statewide policy changes, like the tightening of utility regulations. Many of the reactions are based on the belief that while Irene surprised areas more used to blizzards than tropical weather, future storms are inevitable. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

  • FILE - In this Aug. 29, 2011, file photo, people walk along a washed out section of Route 12 in Berlin, Vt. A year ago, Vermont was devastated by Tropical Storm Irene. Hard lessons have been learned in the year since Irene sent sedans bobbing down rivers, swept away historic covered bridges, put millions in the dark and killed more than 65 people all along the Eastern Seaboard. Responses range from personal gestures, like buying a home generator, to statewide policy changes, like the tightening of utility regulations. Many of the reactions are based on the belief that while Irene surprised areas more used to blizzards than tropical weather, future storms are inevitable. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot

  • In this Aug. 17, 2012 photo, damage from Tropical Storm Irene is seen in Woodlawn Cemetery in Rochester, Vt. A year after flooding from Tropical Storm Irene washed 50 graves from their resting places, progress is slow toward repairing Woodlawn Cemetery and rebuiring dozens of sets of remains washed into the open.(AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

  • In this Aug. 17, 2012 photo, burial vaults are lined up in Woodlawn Cemetery in Rochester, Vt. A year after flooding from Tropical Storm Irene washed 50 graves from their resting places, progress is slow toward repairing Woodlawn Cemetery and rebuiring dozens of sets of remains washed into the open.(AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

  • In this Aug. 17, 2012 photo, Janet Lumbra looks over the remains of her home in East Granville, Vt. For some, there will be block parties and parades. For others, a moment of silence. Or it might be just another day of struggling to clean up the mess. But if thereÂ's one unifying event to mark the first anniversary of Irene, it'll probably be the 30 seconds of ringing of bells in churches and town halls across Vermont that Gov. Peter Shumlin has requested for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, a year to the day after the storm changed Vermont forever. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

  • Mike Parillo

    Mike Parillo, a volunteer at the Walter Elwood Museum , looks over items and records that were save and restored following flooding from last year's Hurricane Irene are on display on Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012, in Amsterdam, N.Y. The flooding damaged about 40 state parks and historic sites, including sand erosion at Long IslandÂ's Jones Beach, miles of toppled trees, and a destroyed water main at Bear Mountain in the Hudson Valley. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

  • Items that were saved at the Walter Elwood Museum and restored following flooding from Hurricane Irene are on display on Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012, in Amsterdam, N.Y. The flooding damaged about 40 state parks and historic sites, including sand erosion at Long IslandÂ's Jones Beach, miles of toppled trees, and a destroyed water main at Bear Mountain in the Hudson Valley.(AP Photo/Mike Groll)

  • Alessa Wylie

    Alessa Wylie, director of Old Fort Johnson, stands in a hallway at the museum while showing off restoration work done there after damage caused by flooding from Hurricane Irene last year, on Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012, in Fort Johnson, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

  • In this Aug. 28, 2011 photo, a flooded road is seen in Hatteras Island, N.C., after Hurricane Irene swept through the area Saturday cutting the roadway in five locations. Irene caused more than 4.5 million homes and businesses along the East Coast to reportedly lose power over the weekend, and at least 11 deaths were blamed on the storm. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)

  • Sandy Gaffney reflects in her new trailer home on Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012 in Berlin, Vt. Gaffney lost the first home she ever owned when Tropical Storm Irene hit her mobile home park less than a year after she moved in. After months of struggle, bonding with and helping other flood victims, and speaking out, she's moved back in the Weston's Mobile Home Park, into a renovated trailer, and turned into an activist.(AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

  • New trailer homes are seen at Weston's Mobile Home Park on Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012 in Berlin, Vt. Sandy Gaffney lost the first home she ever owned when Tropical Storm Irene hit her mobile home park less than a year after she moved in. After months of struggle, bonding with and helping other flood victims, and speaking out, she's moved back in the Weston's Mobile Home Park, into a renovated trailer, and turned into an activist.(AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

  • FILE - In this Aug. 3, 2011 file photo, crews from Connecticut Light and Power replace a damaged transformer in East Windsor, Conn., in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene. The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority said Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2012, it will consider reducing the allowed profit for CL&P as a penalty for the way the utility handled power outages during storms in August and October 2011. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

  • Workers install a foundation at a house that was damaged after flooding caused by Tropical Storm Irene on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012, in Prattsville, N.Y. Hurricane Irene was trumpeted as a potentially huge disaster that could wipe out New York City. It initially underwhelmed but then stalked inland and tore apart a landlocked state. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)