Springfield residents, council press Eversource on rising delivery charges as DPU orders 5% cut

Summary

Residents and city councilors at a Springfield hearing pressed Eversource for a clearer bill breakdown and relief after a string of sharp winter bill increases; the Department of Public Utilities ordered an immediate 5% reduction and Eversource said it will file a proposal by 5 p.m. the same day and hold local bill‑help sessions.

Springfield — Residents and city councilors pressed Eversource representatives on sharply higher winter utility bills at a public hearing, demanding clearer bill breakdowns and immediate relief while exploring longer‑term options including a municipal study of city‑owned energy services.

The meeting, convened by Councilor Brown as chair of a city council subcommittee, drew more than two dozen residents and municipal officials to discuss what speakers described as “astronomical” bills and the components behind recent increases. Mike Vitabelli, director of community relations for Eversource, said the Department of Public Utilities had instructed gas companies in Massachusetts to make “an immediate 5% reduction,” and that Eversource’s proposal responding to the DPU was due to the agency “by 5PM today.”

Why it matters: Residents said delivery fees — the portion of bills that pays for distribution, efficiency programs and low‑income assistance — have ballooned and now in many cases exceed commodity (supply) charges. Councilors said the increases are pushing households into financial distress and asked the company and state regulators for faster, clearer customer protections.

Eversource and billing components

Eversource representatives outlined how a typical gas bill is split between supply (the commodity) and delivery (the cost to operate, maintain and upgrade the…

Springfield residents, council press Eversource on rising delivery charges as DPU orders 5% cut

Summary

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