Build it. But seriously, the Madison St. side needs a rethink. No reason that can't also be a street wall of housing and retail at some point rather than a wide open wasteland and alley for parking garage entrances.

My apartment complex in Southbridge notified us on Wednesday that we could reach out to Quest Energy Solutions out of Worcester. They are a broker who negotiates with National Grid to deliver electricity to central mass residents at a much lower rate. We were able to get our cost down to $0.1625 per kWH. Our previous rate was $0.3381 per kWh, and that did not include the 8 fees tacked onto our bill.

They were very easy to work with and I recommend reaching out to them

Power vampires. Walk around your house at night with lights off and take note of anything still lit, that item is using power. Cable boxes, modems, routers, coffee makers, computers, smart devices, clocks, stoves, gaming consoles, etc., are all using power 24x7.

I wonder how many free charging stations etc need to be created before the cost comes close to the billions of tax dollars spent subsidizing the oil industry.

Have you checked out the state’s MassSaves program? They offer free energy audits and have a rebate program that might help. https://www.masssave.com/~/link.aspx?_id=752A0055295B450AB0752E6A8D617E46&_z=z

Have you had a mass save energy audit? They are free.

The biggest hidden power consumption is having things plugged in when they aren’t in use. Chargers, fan, shredder etc. Your home is measured at 0 for the loop the electricity travels through. As soon as you have something plugged in even if it’s not on it creates a longer path therefore spinning your meter. This is why mass save gives away the special power strips for your tv which only then turn on a dvd player or cable box after the tv turns on. Unplug anything not in use and physically take the plug out of the outlet.

That's still not a 60% increase from what people were paying. The word choice matters.

It’s based on last years winter numbers though not the month before. It always goes up during the winter months but it was 60% higher than last December.

Thank you for the comment. All of this is awesome. And Connecticut is catching strays now 😂😂

There's a reason why I didn't mention Connecticut...

Re: new places... If you've never been to New England but want to experience it I'd say the following for weekend trips... Rte 100 in Vermont: plenty of breweries and hiking in the green mountains. Cape Cod: it's a different world on the outer cape, whale watches, great beaches where you can see seals. Provincetown is a Mecca for the LBTGQ+ community, and it is fantastic for food, people watching, art, and music. Maine: the state is HUGE compared to the rest of New England. Acadia National Park is awesome but it's around six hours by car from Worcester. New Hampshire: White Mountains for hiking (leave Mt. Washington to the professionals), Lake Winnipesaukee for inland water sports, Hampton Beach has a huge boardwalk and a nice beach but be prepared to freeze your nuts off in the Atlantic Ocean.

Or... You could stay at home and bake the day away since pot is legal and dispensaries are everywhere!

Have them all.

Own. Built in 1952.

We just got new windows last month, so I hope we're not losing heat that way. And we actually get hot at night and have been thinking of reducing the heat 2-3 degrees for overnight. We do have an electric blanket on the bed and use it when we feel cold vs turning up the heat, but we rarely use it.

Heavy curtains to keep drafts out, electric blanket, LED energy saving light bulbs

Rent or own? How old the the building?

Something that has helped me a lot is keeping blinds and curtains closed in rooms I don’t go in, or only opening a few blinds/curtains of the room I am in since windows let cold air in through the cracks. I’ve also been using an electric blanket instead of having a heater running when I can, but an electric blanket still uses electricity, so idk if that’s actually helping a lot or not. I haven’t seen my bill this month, so I’m a little scared😓

Update: Just checked my bill and it is double what it typically is and I’ve used less electricity than I normally do this billing period. I’m hoping enough customers get upset to get national grid to lower their rates somewhat close to normal, but idk if they will listen

Yup

Have you converted all your bulbs to LED? We did that and it helped a lot.

We have Green Worcester. The one I was referring to was the Inspire Clean Energy someone mentioned.

That's who it says we have. What are your supply rates?

Good call! I'll look into that this weekend. Thank you!

We do wash and dry our clothes, so that would make sense. Our dryer is natural gas, so it shouldn't use that much electricity though. Our fridge probably does use a lot. But, it's still getting to the point we may not be able to afford electricity soon.

788 kwh and it was 29 days.