Office of the Governor asks utilities regulator to review gas and electric bills line by line

An official from the Office of the Governor said the administration has asked the Department of Public Utilities to perform an unprecedented, line-by-line review of gas and electric bills to identify charges that can be lowered, adjusted or removed to reduce costs for Massachusetts ratepayers.

"Winter is on the way, and I'm focused on your energy bills. Today, I requested the Department of Public Utilities do something that's never been done before. Take a hard look at gas and electric bills and identify every single charge that can be lowered, adjusted, or just gotten rid of altogether," the Office of the Governor said in the remarks recorded in the transcript.

The request, as described in the transcript, directs regulators to examine each billed charge and determine whether it is "absolutely needed" and whether it "is helping ratepayers." The speaker said the goal is to reduce bills by removing nonessential charges and by increasing energy supply in the state: "To really bring costs down, you need to bring more energy into Massachusetts. That's why we're taking an all of the above approach — gas, wind, solar, hydro, nuclear, and more."

The remarks did not include a timeline, specific statutory authority, or funding for the review. The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) was identified as the assignee for the request; the transcript does not record a response from DPU or a stated deadline for completing the review. The statement also framed the initiative as part of broader cost-relief priorities, saying, "But while Donald Trump jacks up costs, we're lowering them Cutting taxes, cheaper college, homes seniors and families can afford." The transcript did not supply legislative proposals, budget figures, or regulatory filings tied to those claims.

This announcement represents an executive-direction-style request rather than a formal regulatory order or legislative action. The transcript records only the request and policy framing; it does not record any formal vote, rulemaking filing, or contractual commitment. Next steps and implementation details — including whether the DPU will open a docket, solicit public comment, or issue an interim report — were not specified in the remarks.