Are MA Rate Increase Coming?
It’s no secret that MA pays some of the highest electricity bills in the country. And National Grid customers may see energy rates rise even higher over the next five years. But why are rates rising and what can you do about it? Let’s talk about National Grid and their rate increase request.
How Much Could Your Rate Increase?
National Grid filed a request to raise distribution rates. If the DPU approves this request, the utility will see revenues rise by close to 12.7%. According to the utility, if you use 600 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of power per month, your bills would rise by about $7.86 per month.
Now, this may not sound like a lot. But the filing also requested that rates would rise by around 1.8% per year for the following four years. This means that the distribution part of your bill would steadily rise from now until nearly the end of the decade!
The utility explains that this gradual price jump has two purposes.
First, it would help the company increase distribution revenues by about $131.6 million. This is important, because utilities are only allowed to profit from the distribution part of the bill. Second, distribution charges are intended to provide financial incentive to modernize the grid. This helps the grid to remain reliable, even during bad winter storms.
Will National Grid Rates Rise?
We previously reported that the DPU would host six public hearings and two virtual hearings. These hearings would help DPU decide whether or not to accept the rate request and whether or not to adjust the numbers. So, officially, it’s still too early to say with certainty how much rates will rise. But if the rate requests go through, then all National Grid customers could be looking at bigger bills for the next five years!
What MA Energy Customers Can Do
Thankfully, MA energy customers can still find savings by shopping for better electricity rates. If you can find cheap enough plans, then the savings may even offset the distribution rate increase.
However, keep in mind, that Senate bill (S.2738) is on its way to the House. So there is a chance that residential energy choice could end in MA. In the short term, this means that now’s the perfect time to lock in savings.
As always, you can trust https://www.maenergyratings.com for the news that could affect your bills. We’re also the best place to visit to shop for the cheapest rates in town!