Mass. residents will see lower gas bills for March and April, regulators say

State regulators are forcing natural gas companies to temporarily reduce total gas bills by at least 5% next month after public outcry over skyrocketing rates from Eversource, National Grid and other companies.

Experts and advocates say a “perfect storm” this winter caused the dramatic spikes. That includes a colder winter, economic pressures for volatile fossil fuel sources and a gas pipeline system within a monopoly of utility companies. And most of the cost comes down to the utilities’ delivery charges.

The GSEP was created in 2014 to accelerate the replacement of leak-prone gas pipes.

“That was a safety issue as well as a climate issue. So [the state] determined it was worth repairing or replacing,” said Kyle Murray, director of state program implementation at Acadia Center.

Costs have mushroomed, even as gas leaks continue, and Murray says it could cost a total of $40 billion by 2039 to completely address.

Part of consumers’ bills also fund the Mass Save program, which offers rebates and incentives for residents to make their homes more energy efficient. The program’s costs continue to rise: it’s about to enter its next three-year cycle, and has asked the Department of Public Utilities to allocate $5 billion — a jump of $1 billion over the prior cycle. Those costs go back to ratepayers, too.

“It’s still awaiting approval of the DPU. And you know, that is a big jump,” said Murray, who added it’s keeping with inflation.

To read the full article from GBH, click here.