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Choice Utilities Propose Providing 10-25% Discount On Total Winter Bills
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Several Massachusetts utilities have proposed providing a 10-25% discount on residential winter bills, responding to a directive from Gov. Maura Healey
Generally, electric utilities proposed a 25% reduction in total residential monthly bills for February and March, and natural gas utilities proposed a 10% reduction in total residential monthly bills for February and March
At National Grid (both electric and gas), the winter bill relief is proposed to be provided as a line-item monetary credit listed in the delivery portion of the bill. The credit would be calculated by totaling the otherwise applicable total bill (both supply and delivery) and applying the relevant percentage discount to such total bill amount (10% discount for gas, 25% discount for electricity). For example, an electric customer whose total bill (supply and delivery), pre-relief, amounts to $200 would see in the delivery section of the bill a line item credit of $50 to reduce the total bill to $150
National Grid's petition is silent as to the availability of the credit to customers taking supply from a retail supplier though, as noted, the credit will appear under the delivery section of the bill
At the Nstar (Eversource) electric and gas utilities, the discount is proposed to be achieved through a reduction in the charged delivery rates, via a credit being applied to the delivery customer charge and the delivery volumetric charge. Note that in setting the amount of the credit applied to distribution rates, Nstar does calculate a 25% reduction in supply costs using the default service rate as a proxy (in addition to calculating a 25% decrease in delivery rates); however, this calculation of the 25% discount to supply charges is used in setting the reduced delivery rate, rather than reducing the supply cost charged to the customer. A tariff filed by Nstar shows that the delivery rate credits will apply to all residential delivery customers, regardless of supplier
Deferred costs will be recovered on customer bills starting in April on a nonbypassable basis, with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts contributing an amount to partially offset the amounts to be recovered for the deferred electric costs (the Commonwealth will fund a 15% reduction in electric bills, with ratepayers paying for the remaining 10% reduction, for a total reduction of 25%)
For both gas and electric, Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light Company (Unitil) also proposes a relief credit mechanism accomplished solely through nonbypassable rates, with relief thus provided to all residential customers, in a manner generally similar to Nstar
Liberty Utilities (New England Natural
Gas Company) Corp. also proposed a similar mechanism using solely nonbypassable rates for the credit
Dockets
26-11 National Grid
26-14 NSTAR Electric
26-15 NSTAR Gas Company
26-16 Eversource Gas Company
26-18 Unitil electric
26-18 Unitil gas
25-PGAF-LIB Liberty
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January 26, 2026
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Copyright 2026 EnergyChoiceMatters.com
Reporting by Paul Ring • ring@energychoicematters.com
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