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.
In addition, at the request of the Department of Energy Resources (DOER), the DPU opened a new proceeding in March to explore even stronger rate designs. The Interagency Rates Working Group (IRWG), a collaboration of state agencies, modeled several possible rate designs that will inform this docket.
The above was an excerpt of the post “Lower Electric Rates for Heat Pumps? Yes, Please! by Amanda Barker on July 17, 2025. Read the full post on the Green Energy Consumers Alliance website.
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