The legislator of Massachusetts, the residents request the investigation into Eversource’s increasing energy prices

Dozens of the legislators of Massachusetts require probes for “sudden” energy costs and whether the increases are “justified”, while the number of residents of Bay State claim that they are “not farmers in a company game”.

The legislators from both sides of the Gangs have written a joint letter to the chairman of the Foreign Ministry of the Public supplier, James van Nostrand, in which they have their “deep concerns regarding the strong increases that have recently been owned by investors for pension companies are approved in the possession of investors ”, with increasing energy interest rates rise through the roof.

Eversource and National Grid bear the main burden of the symptoms.

Legislators in their Friday letter emphasized, as at least one of their constituents reported that the Eversource Act rose to $ 449.91 in January.

“Additional residents in affordable residential complexes have taken care of excessive delivery costs and fees,” she wrote. “

Eversource officers attribute “higher natural gas consumption that result from the colder temperatures” as “main drivers” for the increases with which customers are confronted.

The State Department of Public Utilities approved an Eversource application last November to increase the natural gas invoices of customers by 20% to 30%. The supply company usually adapts the natural gas supply rate twice a year, May and November, and if “the supply costs rise or decrease by more than 5%, the officials have announced.

The officials adapted the interest rate on February 1 as gas costs that “increased significantly in January”.

“The dramatic increase in use is associated with the latest tariff adjustments that were effective on November 1, which also affects the current bills of customers,” said the company.

“These adjustments reflected a variety of factors, including the costs for natural gas on the offer side of the invoice and – on the delivery side – the considerable investments of Eversource in safety and reliability projects. Dekarbonization goals can advance. “

The legislators of the state, which signed the letter to the DPU on Friday, call on the department “to take immediate measures in order to re -evaluate these tariff adjustments and to fold Eversource into account”.

“Again and again, profits before the well -being of families, seniors and small companies are prioritized in Massachusetts,” says the letter. “While the energy prices fluctuate, supply companies should not have free registration in order to impose unforeseen and excessive financial burdens.”

Paul Diego Craney, spokesman for the Fiscal Alliance by Watchdog Massachusetts, blamed the state legislator who prescribes the transition of Bay State to renewable energies for the high costs.

Mass and similar organizations in completely new England argued in a report at the end of last year that residents and companies “can expect the electricity rates to be reduced by at least 80% by 2050, and under a plan to reduce carbon emissions, and If Massachusetts is required to meet NET zero.

“It’s pretty annoying” than solar, wind and battery. “

More than 4,000 inhabitants have signed a petition to “stop and reverse the interest increases from Eversource, to eliminate blackmail systems for public interests, to demand economic re -evaluation, legislative transparency and examination”.

The petition under the direction of Elijah Desousa, which founded the Facebook group “Citizens Against Eversource”, underlines the “failure” of various state authorities, including the executive office for energy and environmental affairs, general prosecutor and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

It accuses the civil servants of energy and environmental matters of the “potential negligence in the enabling of excessive interest rate increases without adequate consumer protection” and the AG office because they have not taken any measures to examine “consumer fraud and unfair prices”.

“People in Massachusetts are neither farmers in a company game nor are we are used by untested monopolies and complacent supervisory authorities,” says the petition. “We are the backbone of this state – families, workers, business owners, pensioners – who rise every day and give everyone to build up our communities.

“And yet,” adds, “while we have difficulty putting food on the table, with rent, mortgages, health care and basic notes, Eversource, which is supported by weak supervision and breastfeeding take.”

In a publication on Friday, Eversource encouraged customers to “use the many support programs and payment plans that are available to manage their invoice”.

“We understand how difficult the increasing energy costs for our customers are already faced with higher prices for other basic needs, and we want you to know that we are here to help and connect you with the programs that meet their needs ”, Eversource Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Penni Conner said in a statement.

The state minority Caucus sent a letter to AG Andrea Campbell on Friday and asked her office to “take measures to question these interest rate increases”. It was emphasized how Maura Healey, then, was able to increase its electrical prices by $ 96 million, increased $ 96 million in 2017.

“We urgently ask you to examine whether these increases are justified,” wrote the Caucus. The current rates are simply too high to heat your houses. “