Eversource Outlines Plan for 13% Gas Rate Increase

Eversource is proposing a 13% increase in natural gas rates for Cambridge customers this year, according to a company filing with the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU). The DPU has yet to approve the proposed changes by the Nov. 1 deadline.

Last winter, Eversource's gas rates surged by 23% due to a frigid season and increased contributions to the MassSave program, which encourages residents to switch from gas to electric heating.

According to a Harvard Crimson report, the current proposed rate hike is driven mainly by an 11% increase in infrastructure and maintenance fees. This results in an overall increase of 13% for an average NSTAR gas customer, who uses 126 therms per month.

Eversource is also rolling out a new bill format that separates delivery charges into “maintenance and infrastructure investment” and “public benefits.”

“A vast majority of households should see the delivery portion of their gas bills go down this winter compared to last year, even if we experience another unusually cold winter,” wrote a spokesperson for the DPU in a statement to The Crimson. The change is said to provide “much-needed relief” for residents. 

Despite statements from Eversource, Massachusetts state representatives are still concerned about heating costs as winter approaches.

“I am concerned that families who are already struggling to afford their heating bills will be pushed closer to the brink, and, with continuing federal funding cuts, gas assistance programs will be stretched even further than they already are,” State Rep. Marjorie C. Decker wrote in a statement to The Crimson.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and several legislators are urging the DPU to scrutinize the new proposals from Eversource and National Grid.

Earlier this year, Healey proposed a broader energy affordability plan aimed at saving $5.8 billion over five years for electric and gas customers. That plan also included finding “alternative ways to finance new electric grid infrastructure and reduce the impact on customer bills.”