BOSTON (Legal Newsline) – Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced Oct. 12 that National Grid will pay more than $1.5 million back to thousands of consumers who were allegedly charged the wrong price for residential gas services.
More than 4,500 customers were affected by the alleged overcharge. The company purportedly charged them its non-heating rate instead of the less expensive heating rate.
“As the ratepayer advocate for Massachusetts, we want to ensure that utilities are not overcharging their customers,” Healey said. “With this agreement, thousands of customers who paid too much for their gas usage will receive the credit they deserve, and National Grid will take additional measures to help prevent this in the future.”
The rate customers pay with National Grid depends on how they use the residential gas. While some consumers heat their homes with gas, some use the gas for non-heating purposes and use other means to heat their homes. Consumers who heat their homes with gas generally use more gas and thus pay a less expensive rate.
The case was handled for Massachusetts by assistant attorney general Lynda Freshman, deputy division chief Nathan Forster and division chief Rebecca Tepper, with the assistance of utility analyst Kyle Connors and all of Healey’s Energy and Telecommunications Division.