Average Electric Bill in Massachusetts (2026)

Picture a family in Worcester opening their National Grid bill in August: the air conditioning has been running for weeks, and the total is noticeably higher than what friends in other states report. That gap is real and consistent.

Massachusetts electric bills rank among the highest in the Northeast, a product of elevated supply rates, delivery charges, and a grid that serves dense urban corridors alongside rural islands like Nantucket. The average U.S. household uses roughly 900 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month, but Massachusetts homes tend to use somewhat less due to smaller square footage and a cooler climate for most of the year. Even so, the per-kWh cost more than makes up for the difference.

As of August 2026, customers on default Basic Service pay approximately 17.3 cents/kWh with Eversource and approximately 17.2 cents/kWh with National Grid (including the Nantucket territory). Before factoring in delivery charges, taxes, and other line items, those supply rates alone put Massachusetts well above the national average. For current total bill estimates by usage level, check ElectricRates.org's Massachusetts page for live figures.

Every Massachusetts electric bill has two distinct sections, and confusing them is the most common reason people misread their costs.

Supply charges cover the electricity itself, the electrons flowing into your home. This is the portion you can shop. If you stay with your utility and do nothing, you pay the Basic Service rate set by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU). The DPU reviews and adjusts Basic Service rates periodically, which is why the number you paid last winter may differ from today's rate.

Delivery charges cover the poles, wires, substations, and meter-reading infrastructure that gets electricity to your door. These are set by the DPU and are not negotiable, regardless of which supplier you choose. Switching suppliers changes only the supply portion of your bill.

When someone talks about the "average electric bill" in Massachusetts, they mean both pieces combined. That total is what hits your bank account each month, so it's worth understanding which part you control and which part you don't.

Massachusetts has two major investor-owned utilities, and where you live determines who sends your bill.

Eversource serves the eastern part of the state, including Boston, the North Shore, Cape Cod, and large portions of central Massachusetts. Their Basic Service rate as of August 2026 is approximately 17.3 cents/kWh.

National Grid serves Worcester and much of central and western Massachusetts, as well as Nantucket Island. Their Basic Service rate as of August 2026 is approximately 17.2 cents/kWh for both the mainland and Nantucket territories.

The supply rate difference between the two utilities is small, less than a tenth of a cent in August 2026, so geography matters less for supply cost than it does for the delivery charge structure, which can vary more meaningfully. Delivery charges are published on each utility's website and in filings with the DPU. For a side-by-side look at what each utility charges in total, the Massachusetts rate page at ElectricRates.org pulls live data.

Boston sits in Eversource territory, so city residents face the same Basic Service supply rate as suburban and rural Eversource customers. What differs inside the city is usage.

Boston apartments tend to be smaller than suburban homes, which pulls monthly consumption down. A one-bedroom apartment with electric heat might use far less than a three-bedroom colonial in Needham, even on the same rate schedule. Conversely, older triple-deckers with poor insulation and window air conditioners can rack up surprising summer bills.

In Worcester, National Grid territory, the story is similar: usage patterns, building age, and whether heating is electric or gas all matter more to the final dollar amount than the fraction-of-a-cent difference in Basic Service rates between the two utilities.

The practical takeaway is that "average electric bill in Boston" or any other Massachusetts city is heavily shaped by housing type and household size, not just the rate. The rate is what you can change; the usage is what you can manage.

Massachusetts is a deregulated electricity market, meaning residential customers can choose a competitive supplier for the supply portion of their bill. The utility still delivers the electricity and handles outages; only the supply pricing changes.

As of August 2026, the lowest competitive supplier rate available in the state is approximately 15.1 cents/kWh in some utility territories, meaningfully below the Basic Service rates from both Eversource and National Grid. On a monthly usage of 600 kWh, that gap translates to a noticeable difference in dollars. On 900 kWh, it's even more significant.

The state-run comparison tool, Energy Switch Massachusetts, is the clearest starting point for comparing licensed supplier offers. It's operated independently and shows offers available in your specific utility territory. ElectricRates.org also tracks competitive rates and updates them regularly.

A few things to check before switching: whether the rate is fixed or variable, the contract length, and any early-termination fees. Variable rates can start low and climb, so the August 2026 rate may not be what you pay in February 2027 on a variable plan.

Massachusetts doesn't have abundant cheap hydropower or low-cost coal nearby. The grid in New England depends heavily on natural gas for generation, and the region's pipeline capacity constraints mean gas prices spike in cold winters, which gets passed through to electricity rates.

Transmission costs are also higher in the Northeast than in states with newer, less congested grid infrastructure. And Massachusetts has ambitious clean energy mandates that add costs in the near term, even as they aim to reduce long-run fuel price exposure.

None of that makes the bill easier to open, but it does explain why the Basic Service rate set by the DPU sits where it does. The DPU must balance affordability against the actual cost of procuring power for customers who don't switch to a competitive supplier.

For households struggling with electricity costs, several programs can reduce or offset the bill.

LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) is a federally funded program that provides heating and utility assistance to qualifying low-income households. In Massachusetts, it's administered through the Executive Office of Health and Human Services. Eligibility and benefit amounts are income-based; contact the program directly or visit the official LIHEAP page for current thresholds, as income limits change and ElectricRates.org does not set them.

Eversource and National Grid both offer low-income discount rates (sometimes called discounted or income-qualified rates) for customers who qualify. These are separate from LIHEAP and can reduce the delivery charge portion of the bill. Each utility's website lists eligibility details and the application process.

Mass Save is the state's energy efficiency program, run through the utilities and funded by a charge that appears on every customer's bill. It offers rebates on efficient appliances, free home energy assessments, and subsidized insulation or weatherization for qualifying homes. Reducing usage through efficiency upgrades is one of the most durable ways to lower the average electric bill over time.

Rate shopping and assistance programs address the price side of the equation. Usage is the other lever.

The biggest drivers of residential electricity use in Massachusetts are space heating (if electric), water heating, air conditioning, and large appliances. Replacing an older electric water heater with a heat pump water heater, for example, can cut that appliance's energy use substantially. Mass Save rebates often cover part of the upfront cost.

For air conditioning, programmable or smart thermostats help avoid cooling an empty home. Sealing air leaks and adding insulation, both covered under Mass Save programs, reduces heating and cooling loads year-round.

On the rate side, the steps are straightforward: check whether Basic Service or a competitive supplier rate is lower in your territory right now, verify the terms of any supplier contract before signing, and revisit the comparison annually because Basic Service rates and competitive offers both change. Use Energy Switch Massachusetts and ElectricRates.org to stay current.

Massachusetts electricity costs are high by national standards, and that isn't changing overnight. But the average electric bill in Massachusetts is not entirely fixed. The supply portion, roughly half of the total bill, can be shopped. As of August 2026, competitive suppliers are offering rates as low as 15.1 cents/kWh in some territories, compared to 17.2 to 17.3 cents/kWh on Basic Service.

Combine rate shopping with efficiency upgrades and available assistance programs, and most households have real room to move the number down. The starting point is knowing what you're currently paying and what's available in your specific utility territory.