Mass. Gas and Electric Bills To Decrease In February and March

Governor Maura Healey announced immediate reductions to electric and gas bills for Massachusetts residents in February and March, but the relief comes with important realities about what's actually a discount versus what's deferred.

Energy bills in Massachusetts are some of the highest in the country - why? We rely heavily on imported natural gas to power the grid, plus the state's limited pipeline infrastructure.

Here's the breakdown: Electric bills will be reduced by 25% for February and March. Of that reduction, 15% is a true discount paid for by the state using $180 million in existing funds. The remaining 10% is a deferral, meaning customers will pay it back later.

For gas bills, the 10% reduction in February and March is entirely a deferral that will be recovered from customers between May and October. -cbsnews.com

“I called on the utilities to lower bills this winter, and now relief is on the way. Massachusetts customers will see their February and March electric bills reduced by 25 percent and gas bills reduced by 10 percent,” said Governor Healey. “We also know that long term help is needed. That’s why we’re going to keep working every day to bring more energy into our state, oppose rate hikes and get charges off of bills.” -mass.gov

The relief applies to residential customers of National Grid, Eversource, Unitil, Liberty Gas, and Berkshire Gas, essentially covering most Massachusetts households regardless of provider.

National Grid has already stated it will collect back all deferred gas bill amounts gradually between May and October. For electric bills, utilities will recover the deferred 10% between April and December. Utilities have not ruled out charging interest when recovering these deferred amounts!

Customers will see the reduced rates beginning with their February bills. The timing means relief arrives during the expensive winter heating months, but the payback begins in spring and extends through fall when energy usage is typically lower.

This marks the second consecutive year Healey has offered utility bill relief. Last year, her administration provided $220 million in rebates and bill reductions when energy prices spiked.