Boston, MA
Just how much higher are energy costs in Boston? Here’s what the data show. – The Boston Globe
With colder-than-average temperatures this winter, skyrocketing energy prices have been top of mind for many Bostonians, including Mayor Michelle Wu, who addressed the squeeze felt by consumers in her Wednesday State of the City address.
“Household budgets are strained by higher energy bills,” she said. “If your home isn’t well insulated, you are spending too much to keep warm.”
But just how expensive are energy costs in Boston? Federal data tracking average prices across the nation show that Boston metro’s prices are much higher than the national average.
The average electricity price in the Boston metro area was 31 cents per kilowatt-hour in December 2024, the most recent data available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That was about 73 percent higher than the national average of 18 cents. Natural gas prices were around 65 percent more expensive than the national average, while gasoline prices were roughly even.
These numbers come from the federal statistics bureau’s Consumer Price Index, which uses surveys and other data sources to calculate average prices change over time.
There are many factors that explain why energy costs are so high in the city and state compared to much of the rest of the nation. One factor is that Massachusetts relies on oil and gas pipelines from other states and Canada, which are vulnerable to price jumps. It also consumes a lot more energy than it is able to generate on its own.
The age of Boston’s energy system also makes keeping cost down difficult, said Belleh Fontem, assistant professor of operations management at UMass Lowell.
Old systems and equipment waste more heat, are often more likely to break, and are less able to adapt to sudden changes in temperature, Fontem and others said. There have been some efforts by the state to modernize the aging energy system. But it takes time to adjust such a complex grid, and moving too quickly could cause energy companies to pass increased costs onto consumers, Fontem said.
The city’s cold winter climate also puts a major strain on the energy system, which can lead to an overall increase in prices, said Harvey Michaels, a lecturer in energy management innovation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This winter was also colder than average, so more people have been cranking up the heat to stay warm.
Because winter temperatures in Boston can dip so low, the city has intentionally built a vast but costly energy system capable of supplying heat during those cold dips, Michaels explained. Although the whole system isn’t typically used in warmer months, it still costs a lot of money in upkeep.
“It’s like having a fleet of planes flying around with very few passengers on them,” he said. “It’s going to be very expensive for the passengers that do fly” to make it worth it.
Boston, along with the rest of New England, also relies more heavily on natural gas imported from Canada than most of the US.
If trade relations between the two countries continue to sour, and more tariffs are imposed on energy, prices are very likely to climb in Boston and across New England, experts say.
Scooty Nickerson can be reached at scooty.nickerson@globe.com.
Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals
Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals LIVE GAME: Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals look to seize control of thrilling Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals. Every team in the Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals has two wins apiece as we go into the final two game weeks. Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals will host Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals at Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals Park Stadium with the Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals a single point ahead of Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals in the standings and just one behind leaders Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals.
Gray, acquired in a November trade from the St. Louis Cardinals, was one of Boston’s key rotation additions, along with Ranger Suarez, in the offseason. He was 14-8 with a 4.28 ERA in 2025.
“He’s very specific about his work. Every day has a purpose,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Gray. “Two hundred strikeouts, that’s something that we were looking for. The competitor. Every five days, this guy is going to give you everything.”
In his five career appearances against the Reds, Gray is 1-3 with a 4.18 ERA.
“It’s pretty much one of the only things that is continuing to push me, is to get to a World Series, to win a World Series, to pitch in big games,” said Gray. “I love the moment, and I am chasing that moment.”
Here’s the preview:
RED SOX (1-0): TBA
Pitching: RHP Sonny Gray
REDS (0-1): TBA
Pitching: RHP Brady Singer
Time: 4:10 p.m.
TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7
Red Sox vs. Singer: Wilyer Abreu 2-5, Roman Anthony 1-2, Willson Contreras 2-7, Jarren Duran 3-10, Caleb Durbin 0-1, Isiah Kiner-Falefa 6-16, Marcelo Mayer 0-1, Andruw Monasterio 1-4, Carlos Narváez 1-1, Ceddanne Rafaela 1-5, Trevor Story 0-4, Connor Wong 2-8, Masataka Yoshida 2-7
Reds vs. Gray: Will Benson 0-5, Elly De La Cruz 5-11, TJ Friedl 1-8, Ke’Bryan Hayes 4-17, Nathaniel Lowe 2-10, Noelvi Marte 0-5, Matt McLain 2-2, Spencer Steer 4-9, Tyler Stephenson 0-8, Eugenio Suárez 7-13, Jose Trevino 0-2
Stat of the day: Sal Stewart become the first Cincinnati rookie since 1958 to record three hits on Opening Day.
Notes: Cincinnati sends righthander Brady Singer (14-12, 4.03 in 2025) to the mound … With Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo already on the injured list to start the season, Singer is considered one of Cincinnati’s most durable pitchers, leading the Reds with 32 starts last season … Singer has made five career starts against Boston, posting a 2-2 record with a 4.88 ERA over 24 innings … His last appearance against the Red Sox, on July 1 in Boston, ended after just three innings when he allowed two earned runs on three hits.
Cam Kerry can be reached at cam.kerry@globe.com.
Nearly three months since assuming office as mayor of Everett, Massachusetts, Mayor Robert Van Campen isn’t wasting any time.
The former city councilor ousted 18-year incumbent Carlo DeMaria in decisive fashion last November, but even so, issues surrounding his predecessor still linger at City Hall.
A state-led salary audit of DeMaria found $180,000 in overpayment, a finding the former mayor disputes. Van Campen says the city is monitoring ongoing investigations.
“What I’ve conveyed to my partners in government here, locally, is to allow that state process to play itself out, and then we, as a community, will make a decision,” the mayor said. “In addition to that, I recently met with Inspector General Jeff Shapiro, who visited me at City Hall. We had a great conversation about transparency in government, best practices, putting in the right systems to ensure that that type of financial oversight doesn’t happen in the future.”
Beyond the audit, Van Campen is placing emphasis on school overcrowding.
“My objective is to try to implement solutions as quickly as I can,” he said. “Our high school today, which was built for I think 1,650 students, now houses around 2,200.”
The World Cup is creating buzz across Massachusetts, including in Everett, where the Kraft Group is looking to build a soccer stadium.
To alleviate that problem, the mayor is using federal ARPA funds to repair the old Everett High School and seeking out other spaces that could be used in the future.
“Would I like to build out new classroom space for the students of Everett in the next one to two years? Yes, that’s my ideal,” Van Campen said. “But I want to make sure that if we do it on a quick timeline, it’s done in a correct and proper fashion.”
Also in focus for the mayor is a new soccer stadium for the New England Revolution on the shores of the Mystic River.
The Kraft Group, Boston, Everett and the state Legislature have all taken steps to make the project a reality, but Van Campen says there’s still more work to do.
“It’s a transformative project, it’s a breathtaking project,” said Van Campen. “But I’ve been clear with all the stakeholders around that project, and the other larger developments going on down there, that we have to make sure that transit issues are comprehensively addressed, that pedestrian access issues are comprehensively addressed, that all those issues have to be addressed to perfection in order for these projects to succeed.”
Tune in on Sunday, March 29 at 9:30 a.m. for our extended @Issue Sit Down with Van Campen.
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