Massachusetts gas and electric utilities will begin offering tiered discount rates to income-eligible customers on November 1, 2026. The state Department of Public Utilities, known as the DPU, says so on its winter bills page, and the same page says the department has asked to lengthen the winter ban on heating shutoffs.

The discount is built around six tiers tied to the federal poverty level. Tier 1, for households up to 100 percent of the poverty level, gets the largest discount. Tier 6, for households from 200 percent of poverty up to 60 percent of the state median income, gets the smallest, according to the DPU’s help paying your utility bill page.

Whether the discount reaches a particular household depends on income, household size, the utility and the rate class. The DPU says many people who already receive SNAP, MassHealth, SSI or the Home Energy Assistance Program qualify, as do WIC participants and public housing residents. Customers who already get a discount do not need to act, because the DPU says they move to the new rate automatically. Everyone else can enroll through their utility or a local Community Action Agency.

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How big are the proposed discounts?

The percentages the DPU lists are proposed and still pending final approval, so they could change. Under the proposal, an Eversource customer on the R-2 electric heat pump rate would get 89 percent off in Tier 1 and 25 percent off in Tier 6. A National Grid customer on the same type of rate would get 91 percent in Tier 1 and 29 percent in Tier 6.

Gas customers face a wider spread. Unitil’s proposed heating rate runs from 91 percent in Tier 1 to 30 percent in Tier 6. For Eversource’s NSTAR Gas heating rate the range is 89 percent to 15 percent. National Grid’s gas heating rate runs from 87 percent to 15 percent.

Some households would see a smaller discount than they get now. The DPU says those customers keep their current discount through April 30, 2027, after which it can fall by no more than 5 percentage points every six months until it reaches the new level.

What is the shutoff protection request?

Utilities and municipal light plants may not shut off heating service in winter for customers facing financial hardship, the DPU says. The department has requested expanding the residential shutoff moratorium this winter to run from November 1, 2026 to April 1, 2027. That is a request, not a finished rule, and the page does not say when it will be decided.

A household with a shutoff notice can contact the DPU’s Consumer Division at (617) 737-2836 or toll-free at (877) 886-5066. The DPU also publishes a page on when customers are protected from shutoffs, with flyers in English, Simplified Chinese, Haitian Creole, Portuguese and Spanish.

Which other winter programs are open?

The Home Energy Assistance Program, or HEAP, opened its online application on October 1. Questions go to 211 or the state Heatline at (800) 632-8175, and the MassCAP heating help page lists the fuel assistance offices.

Customers behind on a bill have another route. The Arrearage Management Programs require a balance of at least $300 that is at least 60 days past due, and each monthly payment forgives part of what is owed. Eversource, National Grid and Unitil also began seasonal heat pump delivery rates on November 1, 2025. Eversource’s base distribution rate is $0.02052 per kilowatt-hour for heat pump homes, against $0.06264 for others.

What is still undecided this winter?

The DPU says more information on winter gas rates will come after it issues its orders, which are due by November 1, 2026. Its gas supply and delivery charges page carries the details once they are out. The department is also running an Energy Burden Inquiry and working to set discount rates for moderate-income customers.

So the open question for a Massachusetts household is which of these programs it fits, and in what order to apply before the heating bills arrive. The DPU’s winter bills page names the contact for each one.

Sorting out which winter bill help fits one household?

Massachusetts households can face a discount rate, a fuel assistance application, a payment plan and a shutoff protection rule all at once, each with its own contact and its own timing. A missed renewal on one of them can leave a winter bill larger than it needed to be.

The Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit lays out heating, cooling and home-repair help in one place, along with an application log and renewal calendar. Its Part 5 is devoted to utilities and home costs, and Part 7 sets out the yearly routine.

Get the kit’s application log for tracking each winter bill program →

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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.