Massachusetts Is Taking Steps to Lower Energy Costs. Let’s Get the Details Right.

Massachusetts lawmakers are working on energy bills meant to lower electricity costs. The House and Senate have each passed versions that would make it easier to install rooftop solar and battery storage, including simpler permitting rules. A committee is now reconciling the two bills before sending a final version to Governor Maura Healey.

One part of the proposal worth knowing about: a mandate for new "fixed charges" on electric bills, meaning a flat fee every customer pays regardless of how much power they use. According to a review of Eversource and National Grid data, this would raise bills for homes and small businesses that use less electricity, while lowering bills for the biggest users. At Eversource, the lowest-use quarter of residential customers would see bills rise more than 10 percent, while the highest-use quarter would see bills fall about 2.5 percent. National Grid's smallest residential users would see bills climb nearly 14 percent. Fixed charges would also shrink the savings homeowners get from having rooftop solar, a battery, or efficiency upgrades, since less of the bill would depend on how much electricity is actually used.

The state's Department of Public Utilities is already reviewing how utility bills are structured and has said it wants to study the fixed-charge question carefully before deciding anything. A range of consumer groups, low-income advocates, businesses, and clean energy companies have raised concerns about locking in fixed charges before that review finishes. If you're in Massachusetts and considering solar, storage, or efficiency upgrades, this fixed-charge debate could affect how much those investments end up saving you on your bill.