The Maine Public Utilities Commission says it doesn't make sense for businesses that conserve energy to be hit with higher electricity rates.

State utility regulators are providing some relief for businesses that have conserved electricity only to find their efforts rewarded with higher rates.

The Maine Public Utilities Commission today unanimously approved a plan to allow utilities to use a "best rate option" to ensure that electricity bills for those commercial customers don't increase as a result of energy conservation measures.

"Charging commercial customers more for good efforts at energy conservation doesn't make sense and is inconsistent with Maine's energy policy," says PUC Chair Sharon Reishus. "The Commission ordered the use of the best rate option because we want business customers to see their energy bills go down as an incentive to continue conserving energy at their facilities."

Further, the Commission directed the three electric utilities, Bangor Hydro-Electric -- which already uses some form of the best rate option -- Central Maine Power and Maine Public Service to come up with guidelines on what will qualify customers for the rate and whether it will be applied retroactively.

The problem arose as some businesses reduced energy use to levels low enough to put them in a different rate class, where rates were higher. Rheishus says the "best rate option" gives those companies the option of staying in their original rate class.