Prepare for Winter Energy Costs

What to Know Before the Winter Heating Season

In New England, energy bills are generally higher in the colder months. Supply costs, or the cost of the energy that is delivered to you, tend to be higher in the winter months due to changes in demand and availability of resources. Supply costs are market-based and are not set by Unitil. Additionally, the energy needed to keep your home comfortable during the chilly New England winter means higher overall energy use.

We want to ensure you know what resources and options are available as we head into the winter season. Read on to learn how to shop for a 3rd party energy supplier as well as energy efficiency measures to help you prepare.

Learn more about supply prices and how they are determined

Energy Resources

Energy efficiency

Reducing your energy usage

Conserving energy is the most immediate way to reduce energy bills. Additionally, energy efficiency measures in homes and businesses may help to further reduce costs.

Learn more about ways to save

3rd party suppliers

Research 3rd Party supplier options

Often times, customers can enter into a contract longer than the regulated standard of six months for their energy. This could provide a more stable supply price over the period of the agreement. Make sure to understand all aspects of an agreement.

More information on 3rd party suppliers

Helpful Resources

5 Home Energy Improvements Ahead of Winter

What to Know When You’re Shopping for an Energy Supplier

I Can't Pay My Utility Bill...Now What?

Explore more savings tips

What to do if you fall behind

If you are struggling to pay your bill or are already behind, we offer a number of payment plans and assistance programs. All available programs are outlined on Unitil.com, and customers can speak directly to a customer service representative by calling our contact center at 1-888-301-7700.

Unitil Customer Service Representatives can extend out payments for past due balances that have accumulated over several months. Extended payment arrangements can be made for any residential or small commercial customer who needs more time to pay their balance. There are no late fees applied on arrearages for any customer on an active payment arrangement plan.

Request a payment plan

There are a number of federal and local assistance agencies that offer a wide array of assistance programs, including those available through:

Other programs are also available to customers through local CAP agencies. Call 211 – a statewide service that provides access to all the health and human services available to qualifying customers.

Supply prices and how they are determined:

Supply rates are the market cost of the energy (electricity or natural gas) that is delivered to you. Distribution utilities like Unitil do not produce electricity or natural gas. Instead, we are required to go out to bid for the current market rate every six months. This supply rate becomes part of customer bills and is entirely separate from the rates that pay for distribution costs.

Unitil does not make any money off of supply as there is no mark-up on this rate. Instead, this is a simple pass-through to customers based on the actual, seasonal costs of energy. Most Unitil customers have the option to find an alternative supply rate through third-party providers.