Summer Swelter: National group urges Massachusetts to ban power shutoffs during hottest months

Some like it hot, but nobody likes a high bill.

While New England utility customers are accustomed to high winter heating costs, high cooling costs in the summer are becoming more common as the hottest months of the year seem to begin earlier and linger longer.

“For electricity, I’d say I average about $200 a month right now,” Christian Cullen told Boston 25 News as he walked through the Boston Common amid this weekend’s hot temperatures. “It’s pretty solid in the Spring and Fall, but Winter and Summer are where you really see your extremes.”

The National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) predicts the summertime extremes will continue to drive energy bills in the Northeast higher in the years ahead.

“Families think about June, July, and August,” says Mark Wolfe, Executive Director of NEADA. “But the cooling season is getting longer in New England, maybe through September… So the cost of summer cooling is becoming a more important part of the family’s budget than ever before.”

NEADA is urging Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and 26 other states to adopt laws that would prohibit utilities from shutting off power during the hottest months of the year if a customer is behind on their bill.

New England states already have similar regulations in place for the winter months.

“These periods of extreme heat are relatively new,” Wolfe says. “In the past, Massachusetts might have a day or two of extreme heat, but not a week. So what we’re saying to states… is to think through how you set the rules to help protect families during periods when temperatures are really high.”

NEADA is also pushing for additional funding at the state and federal levels to help offset energy costs for income-qualified families. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, is one such program.

But Wolfe says more is needed. Last week, his organization sent a letter to FEMA asking for extreme heat events to be declared major disasters. Doing so would free up federal funds for affected regions, just like after hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and wildfires. Wolfe says those funds could be used to offset energy costs.

“FEMA has an important role to play to help lower-income and middle-income families get through these difficult periods,” Wolfe says. “These are not one-offs. This is the long-term.”

A spokesperson for Eversource says energy usage increases by about 40% during the summer months as air conditioners and fans work overtime to keep homes cool.  As of August 1, Eversource has adjusted its basic service rate. The utility says customers should see both savings and more stable bills between the summer and winter months as a result.

For customers looking for more immediate savings, National Grid suggests starting with your thermostat. By raising your air conditioner’s temperature from 75° to 78°, the utility says customers can save around 18% on their bill.

Additional savings can be achieved by changing out dirty air filters, keeping blinds and curtains closed during the day, and limiting the use of heat-generating appliances, such as a stove top or oven.

Most utilities also offer budget payment plans, which can provide customers with a stable and predictable monthly payment for up to a year, taking some of the surprise out of those high summer and winter bills.

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