Photo: Emma Friedman/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ News Radio) – In her third State of the Commonwealth address Thursday evening, Gov. Maura Healey will announce a plan to lower energy costs this winter for Massachusetts residents. This comes amid forecasts of frigid temperatures and a weekend snowstorm.
Healey released a statement ahead of her address that promises several initiatives that will lower the cost of heating, including reducing electricity bills by 25 percent and gas bills by 10 percent for every Massachusetts residential utility customer in February and March of this year.
According to the release, the state will be covering the cost of these rate reductions through existing funding sources totaling $180 million.
“We also know that long term help is needed. That’s why we’re going to keep working every day to bring more energy into our state, oppose rate hikes and get charges off of bills,” Healey said.
Energy costs spiking is nothing new, this is something that Healey has filed legislation on in the past, including bills that would bring more energy into the state and save consumers billions.
With bills filled with cryptic charges, the governor also said she has called on the energy companies to explain every line item on bills to justify what they are charging.
The State of the Commonwealth address is slated to start at 7 p.m., and can be livestreamed here.
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