Massachusetts announces $50 electric credit, DPU gas cuts and broader energy discounts in Lowell

Governor Maura Healey visited Lowell to announce a state "energy affordability" package that officials say will deliver immediate and longer-term relief to households and businesses facing sharply higher heat and electric bills.

At the event, Healey said the administration had secured a 10% reduction for gas bills issued in March and April and that every electric customer will receive a $50 credit on their April electric bill. "On April, in your electric bill, you will now be getting a credit back of $50," Healey said. She and Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rebecca Tepper said the administration will pursue further steps including legislation to expand discount rates to middle-income customers, remove certain line-item charges from bills, and smooth monthly billing volatility.

The package combines immediate administrative steps and planned policy changes. Healey said the actions taken so far will return about $220,000,000 to Massachusetts households in the near term and that the administration estimates the combined measures could save residents about $5,800,000,000 over the next five years. "We estimate that these steps taken together will save Massachusetts residents $5,800,000,000 over the next 5 years," Healey said.

Tepper, the secretary of energy and environmental affairs, described an ongoing, item-by-item review of utility bills. "We're literally going down the bill and looking at every single charge and trying to decide whether something might be modified or whether something no longer has served its purpose," she said. Tepper said the administration had already accelerated the phaseout of two solar-related charges connected to the solar carve-out program and that the DPU is examining competitive-supply and infrastructure-related costs.

Officials credited a short-term action by the Department of Public Utilities for the 10% gas-bill reduction and said the utilities have cooperated in producing near-term savings. Healey described the steps as a mix of administrative actions the state can take now and proposals the administration will file with the Legislature to expand discount programs and change how state-mandated programs are funded.

Local officials and advocates at the event framed the announcement in community terms. A Community Teamwork representative said the agency had processed more than 9,000 fuel assistance applications in the last five months and had seen a more than 10% increase in first-time applicants year over year, illustrating the near-term demand for assistance. Mary Wombe, introduced at the event as a Lowell resident and energy advocate, said the announcement offered "new hope" for households struggling with high bills.

Officials also pointed to longer-term infrastructure developments they expect to lower costs. Secretary Tepper said a new hydro transmission line from Canada scheduled to come online this year will save customers about $200,000,000 over five years, and Healey said expanding in-state generation, including offshore wind, is part of a broader strategy to reduce price volatility tied to global fossil-fuel markets.

The administration described several concrete items: - A DPU-directed 10% reduction on gas bills for March and April (DPU action already in effect for those months). - A $50 credit to appear on April electric bills for all ratepayers. - Accelerated removal of two solar-program charges from customer bills; accelerated phaseout of the solar carve-out. - Plans to expand discount rates to include moderate- and middle-income households, with specifics to be developed with utilities and in forthcoming legislation. - A review and potential elimination or modification of other bill line items and state-mandated program charges, including looking at Mass Save funding mechanisms.

Officials repeatedly separated items that had been implemented administratively (DPU cuts, the $50 credit, removal of specific solar charges) from items that remain proposals requiring further regulatory or legislative work (middle-income discount eligibility, broader funding reforms). Healey said she planned to file legislation in the near term and to continue working with the Legislature and utilities to refine details.

Questions from the audience focused on the scope and permanence of the changes, including whether reductions represented deferrals or permanent cuts. Tepper said the cut tied to Mass Save and the DPU action will produce immediate bill reductions rather than deferred charges. Healey said the administration is coordinating with the utilities to avoid shifting costs that would simply be repaid later.

The announcement included no formal votes by the Legislature; it comprised state executive actions, regulatory steps involving the Department of Public Utilities, and a pledge to file legislation. Officials urged residents to use local agencies and fuel-assistance programs to access help now and said additional program details and eligibility definitions will follow as the package is implemented.

Ending: Healey said the package is the beginning of a multi-year effort to reduce volatility and overall energy costs for Massachusetts residents. "We're not done," she said, urging the federal administration not to impose tariffs that could raise costs and reiterating a push for more in-state and regional energy resources.