Frequently Asked Questions about Electric and Gas Utilities

You should also closely review your electric and gas utility bills to determine whether you are buying your electric or gas supply from your utility or from another entity, often called a competitive supplier.  

If your bill lists a competitive supplier that you do not recognize, there are two possibilities.   

One possibility is that you are participating in your city or town’s community choice electric plan.  Under these programs, your city or town negotiates a supply rate with a competitive supplier for its residents.  These programs are voluntary, and you can opt out at any time.  However, you may want to stay with your community choice program this winter because many cities and towns currently have electricity rates that are lower than the rate available from the electric company.  If you are unsure whether the supplier on your bill is part of a community choice electric plan, call or check your city or town’s website to find out. For more information on community choice electric plans, also known as municipal aggregations, visit this website maintained by the Department of Public Utilities here.

A second possibility is that you are receiving supply from a competitive supplier that markets and sells to individual customers.  If one of these suppliers is on your bill, it is possible that one of these companies switched your electricity supply without your permission.  If you have been switched without your permission, you should file a complaint with the Department of Public Utilities.   

Individual competitive suppliers (in other words, suppliers that are not part of a community choice program) often charge higher rates than your utility’s rates. The AGO issued a 2018 report and 2019 update, and 2021 update that found that Massachusetts customers typically lost money on competitive electric supply.

If you get your electricity or gas from an individual competitive supplier and are paying a high rate, consider canceling your contract so that you may return to buying your electric and gas supply from your utility (often called “basic service”). 

You can check out current and historic basic service rates here.