BOSTON – Some local residents are one step closer to financial relief related to switching their power company.
An amendment crafted by state Sen. Donald F. Humason (R- Westfield) passed the Senate unanimously this week that will require refunds and/or credits to those ratepayers that saw retroactive charges on their electric bills this winter due to a largely unknown Department of Public Utilities regulation from 2000. The amendment was adopted without opposition and will be part of the Senate’s final budget proposal.
“We still have two more hurdles.” Humason said, “We need it to make it through Conference Comittee to the budget and get it signed by Governor Baker.”
A similar bill proposed in the House failed. Humason said the big difference between his bill and the House bill is reimbursement.
“The House version didn’t have anything about reimbursement,” he said. “I’m happy we were able to get this passed in the Senate.”
Humason credited his colleagues for their support, but said it was the constituents themselves who made it happen.
“They made this a priority for me,” said Humason, adding he was very happy to help.
Residents of Westfield, Holyoke and Chicopee will not be affected because those cities have municipal power companies.
“This will help residents of Agawam, Southwick, the hill towns, Southampton and Easthampton,” Humason said.
The amendment states “Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the department of public utilities shall require each electric distribution company to refund or give credits to customers impacted by the bill recalculation provision, established in Pricing and Procurement of Default Service, D.T.E. 9960 A (2000) and D.T.E. 9960B (2000), between November 1, 2014 and April 13, 2015.”
Humason received bipartisan support for this amendment on the Senate floor during debate, with Senator Benjamin B. Downing (D-Pittsfield), Chairman of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, also speaking in support of the measure.
The 2000 order required that energy suppliers charge consumers retroactively should they switch to a competitive supplier within a set six month pricing term. For Western Massachusetts residents, the pricing term is from January – June 31, 2014, and July 1 – December 31, 2014.
On April 13, 2015, D.P.U. rescinded the 2000 rule bringing this practice to an end and bringing much relief to ratepayers in Western Massachusetts, where consumers were hit the hardest, and to residents across the Commonwealth.
