National Grid Seeks Electricity Rate Increases Over Next 5 Years

MASSACHUSETTS — One of the biggest electric utilities in Massachusetts is asking state regulators for permission to increase rates each year over the next five years, with the first increase coming as soon as Oct. 1.

National Grid alerted customers this week about the proposed increases — which are subject to approval by the Department of Public Utilities — ahead of a series of public hearings that begin this month.

According to National Grid, the company will use the rate increases to grow its revenue from electricity distribution by about $131.6 million. The company needs to increase rates by 12.7 percent to achieve that, but plans to spread the increases over five years. The average residential electricity customer would see a 3.7 percent increase in October, and then 1.8 percent on average each year after for four years, if DPU approves the plan.

Utility customers in Massachusetts pay distribution rates to utilities like National Grid that own infrastructure like transmission lines. Electricity supply rates also rise and fall during the year, but residents have the option of signing up for often cheaper municipal aggregation plans as an alternative.

DPU is set to make a decision on the proposal by Sept. 30. There will be six public hearings plus two virtual hearings across the state before September. All hearings begin at 7 p.m.

• March 12, South Lawrence East Elementary School Auditorium, 165 Crawford St., Lawrence
• March 14, Shaw’s Center 1 Feinberg Way, Brockton (Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian-Creole interpretation available)
• March 19, North Quincy High School, 316 Hancock St., Quincy (Mandarin interpretation available)
• April 3, Worcester Technical High School Auditorium, 1 Officer Manny Familia Way, Worcester (Spanish, Portuguese interpretation available)
• April 4, PSF Community Room, 4 Fairgrounds Road, Nantucket
• April 9, Monument Mountain Regional High School, 600 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington (Spanish interpretation available)

Virtual Public Hearings:

• March 21, The first session will begin at 2 p.m., and the second session at 7 p.m.the second session at 7 p.m. (Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian-Creole, Mandarin, and Khmer interpretation available)