HYANNIS – Eversource recently announced that energy supply costs are dropping for Massachusetts customers beginning on the first day of August.
The announcement aligns with an order made last year by the Department of Public Utilities to reduce volatility by altering the supply schedule to run from August to January and February through July rather than from July through December and January through June, splitting the two highest-priced months of the year in January and February into separate rate periods.
The new rates are estimated to be 8% lower for customers in Eastern Massachusetts, dropping from 17.22 cents per kilowatt-hour to 15.77, a savings of about $11 per month in a household using 600 kilowatt hours of power each month.
“A lower price for energy is certainly good news that we’re excited to pass on to customers, and we’re glad that the Department of Public Utilities’ new supply rate schedule aimed at minimizing volatility has proven successful this year,” said Penni Conner, Executive Vice President of Customer Experience and Energy Strategy with Eversource.
“At the same time, it’s important for our customers to remember that their total bill ultimately depends on how much energy they use – which, on average, increases for our Massachusetts customers by 40 percent during the summer months with air conditioners, fans, and other appliances working overtime to keep things cool inside,” she said.
Conner also encouraged customers to participate or enroll in the various energy efficiency and payment programs offered by the company to help ease the financial burdens of energy use, which include signing up for a no-cost Home Energy Assessment to identify energy-saving practices, and the New Start Program aimed at helping income-eligible customers reduce or eliminate their outstanding balances through timely payments and debt forgiveness.
The rate change only affects customers on the Eversource Basic Service Rate, used by about 22% of customers in Eastern Massachusetts.
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