Massachusetts → Common electricity questions

Why Is Electricity Expensive in Massachusetts?

Key reasons electricity prices can be high in Massachusetts, with a practical all-in-rate bill example.

Massachusetts's average residential electricity rate is 29.45¢/kWh, which places it in the "Average" affordability tier compared with other states.

At that average rate, 900 kWh of monthly usage works out to about $265.05 at the all-in average rate — delivery, fixed charges, and utility fees are already inside it; locally billed taxes vary by area.

Higher electricity prices are usually driven by a mix of generation costs, grid investment needs, local market structure, and costs utilities are allowed to pass on to customers.

Geography and reliability requirements can also raise costs, especially where weather hardening, wildfire mitigation, or fuel transport constraints increase utility spending.

Estimates use the EIA all-in average residential rate — energy, delivery, fixed charges, and utility fees together, not just the electricity itself. Fees are inside the rate, not an extra on top; how your own bill splits fixed versus per-kWh charges varies by utility.

Explore this topic: Electricity Prices