Eversource, National Grid propose 10% cut to Massachusetts gas bills for March and April
Eversource and National Grid have submitted proposals to decrease gas bills by 10% for Massachusetts customers in March and April.
10% delivery fee cut
On Monday, Eversource and National Grid filed the proposals in response to the state's Department of Public Utilities request that energy companies cut gas rates by 5%.
The DPU ordered the cuts last week after after Massachusetts residents received shockingly high heating bills during January and February.
Gov. Maura Healey and Attorney General Andrea Campbell both demanded the DPU and gas companies do more to help customers hit with sky-high delivery fees. The request sent by the DPU said companies could recoup the costs in the warmer months - with interest.
In its filing, Eversource said the proposal, which revises the Local Distribution Adjustment Factor, "is designed to provide bill relief to customers who are experiencing a challenging combination of increased supply costs, the recovery of energy program costs and cold-winter temperatures."
How much will customers save?
Eversource said the proposal should decrease the average residential bill by 10.3%, or $33.75 in March, and 10.1%, or $19.71 in April.
The average natural gas bill for National Grid customers would be reduced by approximately $40 per month.
The companies are deferring the charges to off-peak months. National Grid estimated a monthly bill increase of $11 from May through October.
Both Eversource and National Grid said they have resources to help families manage their bills like payment plans and financial assistance.
Why are gas bills so high?
On November 1, the state's Department of Public Utilities approved a winter price hike for National Grid and Eversource. National Grid was approved for an 11 to 13% increase. For Eversource, the approved spike was 25 to 30%.
As WBZ-TV reporter David Wade found, while gas prices have had slight increases, delivery charges have jumped by 27%. For the average customer, the delivery fee is $240, which is twice as much as the supply.
Additionally, a portion of customers' gas bills goes to Mass Save, which provides thousands of dollars in incentives for energy-efficiency improvements. The average Eversource customer now pays about $80 per month for that initiative. That's up 92% from 2023.
