If you are supplied by Eversource in Western Massachusetts, get ready to pay a lot more. Starting January 1, small business rates are going up 46%. Oh, and you’ll pay more at home, too: Residential rates are going up 45%.
As we’ve previously written, prices do change seasonally, and it’s important to compare a full year of prices. But increases this large are 10-20% higher than even the last three winters. So it’s alarming.
Why is this happening? Electric rates follow natural gas prices. Natural gas world-wide is in a supply crunch as we recover from the pandemic. That’s pushing prices up.
Should you worry? If you have a competitive supply contract through 2022, you should be protected. If you’re part of a community choice aggregation, you probably are safe, too. If you don’t understand those terms, or if you aren’t sure what your situation is, the answers are likely buried in your electric bill. We’d be happy to take a look and explain your bill to you.
What can you do? Plenty. Massachusetts has some of the best energy incentives in the country. In most of Western Mass, you can access renewable energy AND save money, just like the Berkshire Innovation Center did. And you can do it via the electric grid, or with onsite renewables–so savings are available whether you own or rent your business. Oh, and you can save at home, too.
Sustaine will help you through all of this costly confusion. You do have choices! We’re here to help you identify and secure them, if you have 30 seconds to answer 3 simple questions.