Utility directory
Pick your Massachusetts utility
Every card opens the full profile: customer service, the 24/7 outage line, gas emergency, service area and how the bill is built.
Investor-owned · IOU
Eversource
formerly NSTAR + WMECO
Greater Boston, South Shore, Cape, Pioneer Valley, Berkshires
Basic Service resets 1 January and 1 July.
Municipal · MLP
Holyoke Gas & Electric
HG&E · founded 1902
City of Holyoke
Rates ~30 to 40% below Eversource Western MA.
Municipal · MLP
Danvers Electric Division
town-owned MLP
Danvers, MA
Rates set by the Electric Commission, not the DPU.
Municipal · MLP
Merrimac Municipal Light
MMLD
Town of Merrimac
Rates set by the local Light Commission.
Municipal · MLP
North Attleborough Electric
NAED
Town of North Attleborough
No retail choice (MLP territory).
Why your address matters
Two kinds of utility, two sets of rules
In Massachusetts, the type of utility that serves your town decides whether you can shop your supply or not. There is no third option.
Investor-owned · IOU
Eversource & National Grid
Private companies regulated by the MA Department of Public Utilities. They own the wires (delivery), set the auction-priced Basic Service rate (default supply) and let you swap that supply line for a competitive offer.
- You can choose a competitive electricity supplier.
- Your town may also run a municipal aggregation program you are enrolled in by default.
- Outage and gas-emergency response is run by the IOU, 24/7.
Roughly ~2.8M MA meters fall in IOU territory.
Municipal · MLP
41 town-owned utilities
The town owns the wires and the supply, and sets the rate through a local Light Commission. Holyoke G&E, Danvers, Merrimac and North Attleborough are typical examples. Rates are often lower than the IOU side, but choice is off the table.
- No competitive supplier choice. Retail choice does not apply in MLP towns.
- Rates are usually 20 to 40 percent below the IOU equivalent, set at cost.
- Local outage response, local billing, local board you can vote for.
Roughly 14% of MA meters are in MLP towns.
Save these
Every MA utility outage & gas line, one table
Always call your delivery utility for outages and gas emergencies, never your competitive supplier.
| Utility | Customer service | Power outage 24/7 | Gas emergency 24/7 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Eversource
IOU · Greater Boston, South Shore, Cape, Pioneer Valley, Berkshires |
1-800-592-2000 | 1-800-592-3000 | 1-800-286-2000 |
|
Holyoke Gas & Electric
MLP · City of Holyoke |
(413) 536-9300 | (413) 536-9300 | (413) 536-9300 |
|
Danvers Electric Division
MLP · Danvers, MA |
(978) 777-1900 | (978) 777-1900 | No gas service |
|
Merrimac Municipal Light
MLP · Town of Merrimac |
(978) 346-9853 | (978) 346-9853 | No gas service |
|
North Attleborough Electric
MLP · Town of North Attleborough |
(508) 643-6300 | (508) 643-6300 | No gas service |
|
National Grid
IOU · Central, MetroWest, South Shore, Cape Cod, Merrimack Valley |
1-800-322-3223 | 1-800-465-1212 | 1-800-233-5325 |
National Grid does not yet have a single page in this directory. Find your local walk-in office.
CallMePower explains
What your utility actually charges for
Every MA electric bill has two halves. Your utility owns one, the market owns the other.
Supply (you can shop this)
The cost of the kilowatt-hours you actually use, billed in ¢/kWh.
- • Basic Service from your utility if you do nothing. Reset every 6 months (residential).
- • Competitive supplier if you shop. Same kWh, different price line.
- • Municipal aggregation if your town runs one. Opt-in by default, opt-out anytime.
Delivery (utility-only)
The cost of moving electricity through the utility's wires and meters. Cannot be shopped.
- • Customer charge, a fixed monthly fee. Paid even if you use zero kWh.
- • Distribution, the ¢/kWh wires charge.
- • Transmission, efficiency, renewables, small per-kWh adders set by the DPU.
Quick answers
Common questions households ask before calling.
Look at the top of your last bill. If you do not have one yet, the answer is set by your town. Eversource covers Greater Boston, the South Shore, the Cape, Martha's Vineyard and most of Western Massachusetts (Pioneer Valley and Berkshires). National Grid (find your local office) covers Central MA, MetroWest, much of the North Shore and South Coast, and Cape Cod east of Yarmouth. The 41 Municipal Light Plant towns each run their own utility, the four indexed here are Holyoke G&E, Danvers, Merrimac and North Attleborough.
An Investor-Owned Utility (IOU) is a private regulated company, like Eversource and National Grid. A Municipal Light Plant (MLP) is owned by the town itself. The practical consequence: in IOU territory you can pick a competitive electricity supplier; in MLP territory you cannot, the town supplies and bills you directly at rates it sets locally.
No. The delivery utility is set by where you live, you cannot change it. You can, however, switch the supply portion of your bill to a competitive supplier (in IOU territory), or enroll in a municipal aggregation if your town offers one.
Always your delivery utility, 24/7. Eversource: 1-800-592-3000. National Grid: 1-800-465-1212. HG&E: (413) 536-9300. Danvers: (978) 777-1900. Merrimac: (978) 346-9853. North Attleborough: (508) 643-6300.
Leave the building first, then call the gas emergency line from outside. Eversource gas: 1-800-286-2000. National Grid gas: 1-800-233-5325. HG&E gas: (413) 536-9300. Service is free at the meter.
Investor-owned utilities are regulated by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU), which approves delivery rates and sets the Basic Service auction rules. Municipal Light Plants are not under DPU jurisdiction, they answer to their local Light Commission or Electric Commission and the town meeting.
Keep exploring MA energy
More U.S. states with energy choice
Same playbook, different utility. Pick another deregulated state to compare utilities, suppliers and switching rules.
