Urges DPU to Require Utilities to Share Increased Cost Burden
BOSTON – PRTESS RELEASE – Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell’s Office, in its role as the ratepayer advocate, submitted comments to the Department of Public Utilities (DPU), advocating for immediate rate relief to help alleviate the financial strain of high energy costs on consumers this winter. Recognizing that short-term relief is just the first step, AG Campbell also calls on the DPU to implement long-term relief measures.
“Unexpectedly high costs have torn into family budgets this winter, and the DPU must work with the utility companies to provide immediate relief for consumers. Yet that will not be enough, and our residents need longer term relief,” said AG Campbell. “I look forward to working with the DPU, the utilities, and my partners in state government to address these challenges.”
On February 20 and in the face of unprecedented increases to ratepayers’ energy bills, the DPU ordered gas companies to reduce customer bills for the remaining two months of the winter heating season (March and April) and to collect any deferred costs during the off-peak season. The following day, AG Campbell sent a letter to the DPU requesting that the utility companies forgo charging interest associated with the deferred payments to ensure that customers are not shouldering all of the high costs alone.
While four gas companies agreed to forego charging interest on the deferred costs, two companies – National Grid and Berkshire Gas – declined to forgo such charges. The Attorney General’s Office’s (AGO) comments to the DPU strongly urge those two companies to reconsider their position to ensure that their ratepayers are not disadvantaged by the proposed deferral. The comments also contend that none of the gas companies’ plans go far enough in reducing the financial burden on ratepayers, as they do nothing to reduce what will likely be another round of extremely high gas bills for the month of February.
Additionally, the comments encourage the gas companies to provide additional clarity and consistency regarding their plans to deliver immediate winter rate relief to ratepayers. The AGO asks the DPU to direct the gas companies to file bill impacts for the two remaining winter months, the projected bill impacts during the off-peak season as a result of the deferrals, and to clearly communicate these impacts with their customers.
The comments contend that while utility companies have improved their efforts to promote financial assistance programs, including extended payment plans for those who do not otherwise qualify for assistance, these efforts do not adequately lessen escalating bill impacts. The AGO requests that utility companies increase their efforts to communicate the availability of payment plans for customers struggling to pay their bills and take steps to extend the availability of payment plans for as long as possible to lessen customer burdens.
The AGO applauds the DPU for extending the winter shut-off moratorium to April 1, 2025 in response to a joint request from the AGO and other stakeholders. The moratorium prevents utility companies from shutting off gas and electric services to households experiencing financial hardship. Extending the moratorium will provide much-needed protection to ratepayers who have shouldered unexpected and unprecedented rate increases and may have had trouble making timely utility payments as a result.
Consumers who are having trouble paying their utility bills should reach out to their utility to find out what assistance may be available to them to pay their bills, including extended payment plans or budget billing, two options that are available to all customers and can help make bill payments more manageable. Consumers can learn more about their options and their rights on the AGO’s Frequently Asked Questions about Electric and Gas Utilities. Additionally, consumers should refer to the AGO’s Winter Energy Assistance flier for information about financial assistance available to them.
AG Campbell, through her Energy and Ratepayer Advocacy Division, serves as the statutory ratepayer advocate for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She advocates for a cost-effective and equitable clean energy transition with a focus on affordability and expanding opportunities for public participation in state energy proceedings for underserved communities. In addition to advocating before the DPU to reduce ratepayer costs, AG Campbell has recently been fighting in court to stop the Trump Administration’s federal funding freeze, which halted hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding to Massachusetts and, if unchecked, would result in higher energy costs for ratepayers.
