Is your choice of electric company going away? That could very well be the case here in Massachusetts as the Senate has passed a bill banning choice.

What are your current choices in Massachusetts?

• Eversource. formerly NSTAR (The Eversource area that was formerly NSTAR is the region of Eastern and Central Massachusetts. Eversource provides retail electricity and natural gas to 1.4 million customers in this region including the Boston urban area).
• National Grid. formerly Mass. Electric (National Grid serves over 1.2 million electricity customers in 168 communities throughout Massachusetts including Brockton, Worchester, Franklin, Marlborough, Southbridge, Newbury Port, North Adams).
• Unitil. (102,00 customers in MA, NH, ME)

What's the issue? Why limit people's choices? Isn't that a bad thing?

Polarizing as it may be, the reality is things may change on 1/1/25. If you are receiving energy from a third party, you would not have to cease any contractual obligation.

The bill bans individual residential electric choice starting on January 1, 2025. If signed into law, homeowners would no longer be able to shop for 3rd party energy supplier electricity plans. -maenergyratings.com

Study shows third party energy companies hurt the people who need the savings the most...

“This report once again shows a clear pattern by the individual competitive electric supply industry of substantially harming our residents, with customers experiencing net losses of $51.8 million for the two years studied and predominantly in communities of color and low-income communities,” said AG Campbell.

What are examples of third party electricity providers?

• Clearview
• Constellation
• Smart Energy

This bill as of this writing has not been signed into law.

National Grid, Eversource, and Unitil all serve Massachusetts.

The average electric bill in Massachusetts is $262/month. Monthly electric bills are a product of how much electricity you use per month and your electric rate. In Massachusetts, the average monthly electric bill for residential customers is $262/month, which is calculated by multiplying the average monthly consumption by the average electric rate: 856 kWh * 31 ¢/kWh. - energysage.com

What is drawing all your electricity in your house?

We often think that the size of the appliance is somehow equal to how much electricity it draws, or is that just me? My little brother is Local 103 IBEW in Boston, so he always corrects me.

AC/Heat

Forced cold or hot air is a killer. Your HVAC system is almost 50% of your electricity bill.

Water Heater

Your water heater, if you have one, can chew up about 15% of your bill.

Appliances

Refrigerator, washer and dryer, electric stove, dishwasher are next on the list. 13%

Lighting

Leaving those bathroom lights on are using about 10% of your electricity.

Television/Computer

Video games, streaming, and television account for about 5%

We are a family of 5 and our electricity bill was $550 last month which is unacceptable. We had an electrical malfunction in our HVAC system which solved the mystery!