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

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 distribution system and to fund state‑mandated programs). “There are two primary components to your bill, delivery and supply,” Richard Chin of Eversource’s rates group told the meeting and then detailed items that appear in the distribution adjustment charge, including energy‑efficiency programs (Mass Save), the Gas System Enhancement Program (GSEP) and low‑income assistance.

Chin said higher winter usage, a November rate change and growing program costs each contributed to higher total bills. He summarized the company’s view that a colder winter and higher market supply prices raised bills for an average residential customer using 68 therms, producing an $88 increase on a bill that had been about $297 in the prior January.

Public comments and council response

Several residents described large winter bills even after reducing household energy use. David Fleet, a Forest Park resident who said he reviewed multiple years of bills, told the panel that delivery fees had risen to the point that in some months delivery equaled or exceeded the commodity charge: “Eversource is increasing their delivery fee charges, at a time when their profits are going up,” he said.

Naya Tanarowicz of the Springfield Climate Justice Coalition urged that Eversource bear more program costs itself rather than pass them to ratepayers, citing a company profitability increase and an estimated GSEP price tag she called “$40,000,000,000” over full deployment (attributed to the speaker’s statement during public comment).

Councilors pressed for immediate and longer‑term actions. Councilor Delgado asked the council to send letters to the governor and legislature to seek state relief and to streamline access to existing programs. Councilor Davila and others urged more neighborhood outreach from Eversource; several councilors proposed inviting officials from neighboring municipal utilities (Holyoke, Chicopee) to explain how local utilities operate.

Local follow‑up commitments

Eversource said it will host in‑person bill‑help sessions; the company announced a session at the Raymond Jordan Senior Center on March 18 from 1 to 3 p.m. and encouraged residents to call customer service for one‑on‑one bill reviews. Vitabelli said webinars explaining bills were posted to eversource.com/billhelp and that the company would follow up with answers to councilors’ specific technical questions.

Councilor Brown said the council will pursue a study of options for municipal energy provision and will seek examples from Connecticut municipalities and from nearby Massachusetts cities that operate local utilities. Chris (city staff) estimated an on‑grid municipal utility, including electric and gas components, could require “$200 million to $300 million” in upfront investment and said a formal feasibility study would be needed.

What was not decided

No formal votes or ordinances were taken at the hearing. The DPU’s 5% instruction to gas companies is a state agency action, not a council vote; Eversource said its filing responding to that instruction would be submitted to regulators and shared with the council in the coming days. The council directed staff to pursue follow‑up briefings, invite municipal utility representatives, and explore a formal study of potential municipal options.

Quotes

“Eversource is increasing their delivery fee charges, at a time when their profits are going up,” — David Fleet, Forest Park resident.

“The department has instructed all gas companies in Massachusetts, for immediate 5% reduction. Eversource is committed to making that 5%,” — Mike Vitabelli, director of community relations, Eversource.

“There are two primary components to your bill, delivery and supply,” — Richard Chin, Eversource rates department.

Ending

Councilors said the discussion will continue: the council plans more outreach, technical follow‑ups with Eversource, and a proposed study on municipal options for energy supply and delivery. Residents were urged to attend the March 18 bill‑help session, to contact Eversource customer service for individualized bill reviews, and to forward technical questions to council staff for a formal follow‑up report.