Electric Customers Can Expect Big Bill Increase This Winter

By Charlene Arsenault

National Grid customers can expect a “significant increase” in their electric bills this winter, according to a recent announcement by the company.

The power company filed recently with the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities to adjust its electric and gas rates for winter, it announced in a press release.

National Grid serves 18,496 electric customers in Beverly.

Customers can see an electric bill that is as much as 37 percent higher than last winter due to higher power supply prices. The rates, said National Grid, will start as soon as November.

There is some good news, however. Sort of. Gas rates will drop three percent lower than last year. But National Grid also says that using more natural gas for home heating as the weather cools down means that gas bills will rise for most customers as they do every winter.

“With the chance of another cold winter on the way, National Grid is very concerned about what higher energy costs mean for our customers,” said Marcy Reed, president of National Grid in Massachusetts. “Though we can’t control power supply prices, we can help our customers in other ways, which is why we urge Massachusetts residents to take full advantage of energy efficiency and payment programs that can help lower their bills.”

The percentage of increase for electric customers shakes out to about $33 a month, stretching from November through April, compared to the same period last year. The section of electric bills where customers will see the majority of the difference is called Supply Services, said National Grid. This section of the bill represents the cost of the electricity the company purchases on behalf of customers and passes on without a mark up.

Is that idea of a pellet stove or wood stove looking better to you? How will this affect your spending this winter? Do you heat your home with electric, too? Share your thoughts in the comments section.