State agency seeks to delay hardship utility cutoffs until spring

BOSTON – Concerned about high-energy prices during these cold winter months, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has asked the state?s electric and natural gas companies to extend their current shut off date to May 1.Currently, the DPU prohibits utility companies from terminating service for non-payment until the end of the winter season on March 15.The extra 45 days is hoped to provide much needed relief for low-income, elderly and disabled residences struggling to pay their rising bills.Record low temperatures have all but squeezed cash-strapped families across the city struggling to keep their households warm, and they are still in danger of running out of heat in the dead of winter, according to officials.The DPU recently launched an investigation to examine existing programs for low-income customers and to seek ways to expand initiatives such as management programs, discounted rates, service termination protections, and energy- efficient measures.The new investigation will also explore ways to update and strengthen utility consumer protection laws and policies to help low-income consumers meet rising home-energy costs and to develop a set of “best practices” for utility low-income programs.DPU Chairman Paul Hibbard said elderly and disabled consumers are especially at risk during the winter season.?We are urging the Commonwealth?s utility companies to lend a hand during this particularly difficult year,” he said. “At the same time, the department is launching an inquiry that we hope will yield new ways to save money for our most vulnerable customers through expanded energy efficiency and other assistance.”An agency of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEA), the DPU plays a role in overseeing public policies established to protect and support consumers of natural gas and electricity.Letters were sent by the DPU to the following utility companies requesting an extension of the service termination date: Blackstone Gas, Berkshire Gas, NSTAR Gas & Electric, National Grid USA, NiSource Gas (Bay State Gas), Unitil (Fitchburg Gas & Electric), and Western Massachusetts Electric Company.Details of the inquiry, “Expanding Low-Income Consumer Protections and Assistance, Including Standards for Arrearage Management Programs, Discount Rate, Service Termination and Energy Efficiency Programs”, will be posted at www.mass.gov/dpu in the near future.