Eligible National Grid customers in Andover and North Andover will receive a larger electricity discount this winter, with reduced delivery charges applying from Nov. 1 through April 30.
The seasonal rate covers all household electricity use, including appliances and lighting, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities.
National Grid’s newly approved transmission discount supplements the distribution discount offered last winter. Transmission charges support the high-voltage network that moves electricity over long distances; distribution charges cover the local system delivering it to homes.
Using the rounded rates reported by Canary Media, National Grid’s transmission charge falls from 5.5 cents to 2 cents per kilowatt-hour. That reduction would save $21 in a month when a household uses 600 kWh, beyond the existing distribution discount. Total bills will still depend on consumption and other charges.
Regulators approved the change in July after directing National Grid and Unitil to follow Eversource’s approach of discounting both delivery components.
The rationale rests on when customers need electricity. Advocates say heat pumps make use of grid capacity available outside summer demand peaks. That balance could change as electric heating becomes more widespread.
To qualify, customers must have residential electric service from National Grid and use a heat pump for home heating. A heat-pump water heater alone does not qualify.
Customers whose homes received a qualifying Mass Save heat-pump rebate on or after Jan. 1, 2019, are automatically enrolled, the state says. That includes current occupants who did not personally receive the rebate.
Households with older installations, or installations without a qualifying rebate, can apply through National Grid’s enrollment form. The utility expects enrollment within one week, with the seasonal rate beginning in the next billing cycle.
Customers already enrolled do not need to apply again. Their updated winter rate takes effect automatically Nov. 1.
