Senator Stephen Lynch and Rep. Thomas O'Brien Utility bills are among the biggest expenses for Massachusetts consumers.
Consumers have little voice in the process that sets utility rates.
Utility companies spend millions of dollars on lawyers, economists, accountants and lobbyists to support their interests. This imbalance costs consumers millions of dollars per year in potential savings on their utility bills. Utility deregulation creates an even greater need to watchdog the special interests on behalf of small utility customers. Recent decisions by regulators approving increases in standard offer and default rates, allowing utilities to pass on hundreds of millions of dollars in merger-related costs and the uncertainties created by the deregulation of the industry highlight the need for a more vigilant watchdog of utility rates. CUB will hire professionals to represent residential consumers of gas, electric, water and sewer, and telephone utilities.