The Energy Consumer's Bulletin- a New England energy news blog

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Our Take on the Energy Bill in the Massachusetts House of Representatives

Our friends at theBuilding Electrification Accelerator asked us to present information about legislation, House Bill 4744, now working its way...

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Energy efficiency

Energy policy & advocacy Energy efficiency Heating Rhode Island Climate change Action Alert

Our Take on Rhode Island’s Climate Action Strategy

Rhode Island is at a crucial juncture in taking meaningful action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Climate Action Strategy (CAS), which is a plan required of the state under the Act on Climate, is scheduled to be released to the public on Monday, December 15th, and the annual greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory released by the Department of Environmental Management has been updated for 2023. These two reports provide context for where the state’s emissions are and what ought to be done to achieve the 2030 GHG reduction mandate. Prior to the release of the final CAS, the Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council (EC4) – Rhode Island’s interagency organization tasked with coordinating climate change efforts – released a draft executive summary for the Climate Action Strategy which claims that the state will be able to meet the 2030 Act on Climate (AOC) with the current policies RI has on the books, e.g. the Renewable Energy Standard, Advanced Clean Cars II, and Advanced Clean Trucks regulations (currently under litigation), current incentives for electric vehicles and heat pump, etc.

Picture of Tina Munter Tina Munter
Energy efficiency Heating

How to Choose the Right Heat Pump Installer

We’ve heard from many people that they hope to install heat pumps or a heat pump water heater before the end of 2025 so that they can take advantage of the up-to-$2,000 federal tax credit, which ends on December 31st. And still others are compelled to act because their fossil fuel heating equipment is failing. 

To help our readers speed up their search for skilled installers, here are some tips to help you find a qualified, experienced contractor for your home.

Picture of Loie Hayes Loie Hayes
Massachusetts Electricity and the grid Energy efficiency Heating Climate change Phasing out fossil fuels

Heat Pump Discount Rates Coming This Winter!

We have an exciting update for Massachusetts households since we last wrote about heat pump rates in July: Starting November 1st, all three investor-owned electric utilities (Unitil, National Grid, and Eversource) will launch new, lower winter electricity rates for homes that heat either partially or fully with heat pumps.  

On average, Heat pump users can expect to save around $540 on their heating bills this winter, compared to what they paid in past winters. That’s roughly a 17% discount—a true game changer for clean heating in Massachusetts.

Picture of Amanda Barker Amanda Barker
Energy policy & advocacy Massachusetts Electricity and the grid Energy efficiency Heating Climate change

Lower Electricity Rates for Heat Pumps? Yes, please!

Widespread adoption of heat pumps is essential to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, and the important interim greenhouse gas reduction goals by 2030. However, for many households, high electricity costs remain a barrier to making the switch. To address this, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has ordered the state’s three investor-owned utilities (IOU’s - Unitil, National Grid, and Eversource) to introduce seasonal heat pump rates, offering discounted electricity for heat pump users during the winter months, a concept Maine has already implemented.

Picture of Amanda Barker Amanda Barker
Energy policy & advocacy Electricity and the grid Energy efficiency

Midsummer Observations About Shaving the Peak

As part of our Shave the Peak program, we’ve been aggregating data released by ISO-New England, the non-profit Independent System Operator with a responsibility to maintain reliable electricity to the six New England states. Every day, we track various stats, including when and what the peak demand was, when and what the most expensive price of electricity was, how high CO2 emissions reached, what the fuel mix looks like, etc.

Picture of Maya Mastro Maya Mastro
Electricity and the grid Energy efficiency Climate change

Hot Days Ahead! Time To Shave The Peak.

As summer approaches, thousands of our followers prepare to “Shave the Peak.”  

Shave the Peak is our program designed to inform people, via text and email alerts, how and when to reduce power use on days when electricity demand is significantly higher than usual. As we begin to see temperatures rise above 90°F this summer, skyrocketing demand on the power grid leads to an increase in fossil fuel consumption and wholesale prices (which ultimately get passed onto retail customers – us).

Picture of Larry Chretien Larry Chretien 
 and
Picture of Maya Mastro Maya Mastro
Massachusetts Energy efficiency Climate change

Energy Efficient Fishing Fleets in Massachusetts

Frequent readers of our blog know that our mission is to make it easier for consumers to switch away from fossil fuels for their homes and transportation. Every policy change that we advocate is intended to remove barriers and prioritize the implementation of non-polluting ways of meeting our needs. This work of greening our grid, our roadways, and our buildings includes the major industries that offer employment and generate goods and services that we all depend upon.

Picture of Loie Hayes Loie Hayes
Energy policy & advocacy Energy efficiency Rhode Island Climate change Phasing out fossil fuels Action Alert

Support the Rhode Island Building Decarbonization Act of 2025!

This year, our top legislative priority in Rhode Island is the Building Decarbonization Act (H5493/S91), because the Ocean State is not currently on track to achieve the emissions reductions required by the Act on Climate. This is especially true in the building sector, which makes up over 35% of the state’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Picture of Tina Munter Tina Munter
Electricity and the grid Energy efficiency Rhode Island Climate change Phasing out fossil fuels

Watch for Gross Misinformation on Rhode Island’s Clean Energy Costs

On March 10th, the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission held a public hearing on electricity rates. The hearing was picked up by several news outlets and some excerpts from the news coverage were disseminated through social media. We heard one thing that we suspected was wildly incorrect. While covering this hearing, John Perik of NBC 10 News stated that “clean energy costs” on the electric bill were going to rise 43%, and it implied that those charges were the main reason that electricity delivery charges were going up. We will explain why the implications in that statement are incorrect.

Picture of Tina Munter Tina Munter