Unitil Corporation, (Unitil.com), a provider of electricity and gas to customers in New England, today filed rate cases with the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities requesting approval to increase the Company’s electric and gas distribution rates.
The proposed increases are to ensure that rates charged to customers accurately reflect the costs of operating, maintaining, and continuously improving the infrastructure that provides electric and gas service to homes and businesses in the Company’s Massachusetts service areas. Distribution rates are wholly separate from supply rates, which represent the current market cost of energy and typically change every six months. Unitil’s last distribution rate filings in Massachusetts were in 2019.
If the rates are approved as filed, a typical residential electric customer using approximately 600 kilowatt hours (kWh) a month would see a monthly increase of approximately $10.34, or 4.0 percent. A gas heating customer using approximately 70 therms a month would see a monthly increase of approximately $31.86, or 15.5 percent. Bill impacts for specific customers will vary depending upon rate class and usage.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities has up to ten months to process and review the proposals before any rate changes may take effect. Orders for these rate cases are expected on or before July 1, 2024.
More information on Unitil’s proposed filing is available online at unitil.com/ma-rate-case.
