National Grid has announced plans to seek a significant increase in natural gas distribution rates for its nearly 950,000 customers in Massachusetts, marking the company’s first base rate adjustment request in about five years.
The utility intends to file the proposal with the state Department of Public Utilities in mid-January 2026, with any approved changes taking effect in January 2027. If granted, the hike would raise average annual gas bills by roughly 10 percent overall. Customers in the Boston Gas territory, serving Greater Boston and Central Massachusetts, could see winter heating bills rise by 8.4 percent—adding about $24 per month for typical users—while those in the Colonial Gas area, covering Cape Cod and parts of the Merrimack Valley, would face a 9.4 percent winter increase, or around $25 extra monthly.
The company aims to spread costs more evenly across the year to ease the seasonal burden on winter bills. Funds from the increase would address rising labor and material expenses, bolster safety measures, and support infrastructure upgrades, such as a new pipe tunnel in Lowell and improvements to a liquefied natural gas facility in Dorchester…