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Electric bills are about to increase again

Milad Mosapoor

You can expect your electric bill to go up by almost $12-a-month starting July 1st.

Inflation, and global increases in the price of natural gas, are to blame and those forces are expected to drive higher energy costs across the country.

Eversource spokesperson William Hinkle says the company encourages those struggling with their bills — even if they’ve never needed it before — to consider payment assistance options.

"In addition to a number of income eligible assistance options that we provide, we also provide flexible payment plans for all customers as well as budget billing options," says Hinkle.

To keep bills as low as possible, Eversource recommends people keep their air conditioner setting as warm as comfort allows.

Hinkle added that global market forces driving up the price of natural gas are largely the reason for the increase, and that could still be a problem when the supply rate is re-set in January.

"It is still too early to say exactly what the prices will look like for our customers in eastern Massachusetts at the subsequent change going into next winter. But we do expect these market conditions to continue to exist," Hinkle added.

As hard as we have it, on Friday, Eversource announced many New Hampshire residents will see electric bills rise by $70 per month… starting in August.

Details on payment plans, budgeted billing, and discounted rates can be found on eversource.com/home-savings.

Eve Zuckoff covers the environment and human impacts of climate change for CAI.