Summary
In January, Governor Maura Healey announced that her administration is delivering $180 million in relief on your electricity bill and called on the utilities to chip in more savings. In total, Massachusetts customers can expect to receive 25% reduction in their electricity rates and 10% reduction in their gas rates for February and March. You must be a customer of National Grid, Eversource, Unitil, Liberty Gas, or Berkshire Gas to qualify.
Below is more information on how you will see this on your bills and important information on Governor Healey’s Energy Affordability, Innovation and Independence Act currently before the legislature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Governor Healey doing this?
Governor Healey called on the utilities to provide relief this winter. That is why rates will be reduced for energy use in February and March 2026.
Electricity rates will be reduced by 25% for residential utility customers. The administration is applying $180 million to help electric customers. The funds are coming from alternative compliance payments. The funding can only go toward electric ratepayers and not gas customers.
Gas rates will be reduced by 10% for residential utility customers.
Who is eligible?
This reduction applies to residential customers of the major investor-owned gas and electric utilities: National Grid, Eversource, Unitil, Liberty Gas, Berkshire Gas. The reductions are for the total customer bill, based on an individual household’s usage.
These reductions do not apply to businesses.
When will this appear on the bill?
The reductions will be applied to your bills for the energy you used between February 1 and March 31, 2026.
Customers will see this reflected on bills they receive covering their usage during that time period (likely bills received starting in early February through mid-April, depending on when a customer typically receives their monthly bill).
How can I make sure the reduction is on my bill?
All utilities have sent communications to all residential customers and have included a banner on their websites.
Eversource, Unitil, Berkshire and Liberty will communicate to customers about the bill reduction on the bill and/or via a bill insert, but it will not be called out as a line item on the bill. National Grid will have a line on the bill and include an on-bill message and/or bill insert.
If you are still not sure if the reduction is being applied to your usage, contact the Customer Service Department for your utility.
Are my utility companies planning to charge interest on these bill reductions?
No, the utilities have all waived carrying charges for the reductions. On January 29, 2026, the utility companies filed revised proposals with the DPU to waive carrying charges on the two-month reductions and the DPU approved these proposals.
Can I opt-out of receiving the bill relief and pay my bills in full?
Please contact your utility for this information.
Utility Contact Information
If you still have questions about the reductions or other issues, please contact your utility company for assistance.
Gas
- Berkshire Gas
- Eversource - NSTAR Gas and Eversource Gas Company of Massachusetts
- Liberty Utilities – Blackstone
- Liberty Utilities – Fall River/North Attleboro
- National Grid
- Unitil