Lawmakers, advocates urge tighter rules or ban on third‑party electricity suppliers

Lawmakers and consumer advocates told the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy on May 1 that third‑party residential electricity suppliers have repeatedly charged customers more than utility basic service rates and used aggressive sales tactics, particularly in low‑income and environmental justice neighborhoods.

The committee heard hours of testimony in support of H3534 and S2255, “an act relative to electric ratepayer protections,” including from the Attorney General's Office, Boston officials and several consumer groups. Elizabeth Anderson, chief of the energy and ratepayer advocacy division in the Attorney General's Office, said the residential supplier market "seriously undermines the state's objectives to keep utility bills affordable for all residents and to address historical inequities." She told the committee her office favors a ban but will negotiate "meaningful" reforms as an alternative.

The bill's supporters cited state data and municipal examples. Brian Sweat, chief climate officer for the City of Boston, testified that Boston's municipal…