Governor Announces New Winter Energy Bill Relief for Mass Families
BOSTON — Governor Maura Healey announced new actions to help Massachusetts families lower their heating and electric bills this winter.
Governor Healey has declared a State of Energy Emergency and, through an Executive Order, is expanding eligibility for home heating assistance and removing charges from electric bills. This includes creating a new home heating assistance benefit for approximately 50,000 middle class households who rely on heating oil that previously did not qualify for existing assistance programs, as well as increasing heating assistance for approximately 156,000 low-income households as part of the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). The Governor will also eliminate the SMART program charge on residential electric bills for three months and cut the Alternative Portfolio Standard by 50 percent this winter. Overall, this plan will lower energy bills for approximately 85 percent of ratepayers. More information can be found at mass.gov/heatinghelp.
Additionally, by declaring a State of Energy Emergency, Governor Healey is activating legal protections in Massachusetts against price gouging of petroleum products. Governor Healey is directing all responsible state agencies to monitor, investigate and enforce rules against price gouging or excessive or misleading prices for petroleum products.
Governor Healey also sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging them to provide an additional $3 billion in emergency funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), bringing the program to $7 billion.
"Families are seeing the impact of the war in Iran every time they fill up their gas tank, place an order for heating oil or open their electric bill. I'm declaring a State of Energy Emergency because in Massachusetts, we are going to use every tool we have to get people relief," said Governor Maura Healey. "We're delivering nearly $150 million in savings, including helping middle class families who didn't previously qualify for assistance and taking charges off of electric bills for households and businesses across Massachusetts. I'm also grateful for the strong partnership of Congressman Joe Kennedy and Citizens Energy to create the Winter Warmth Fund to deliver additional relief to families facing sky heating bills."
"For too many of our neighbors, an unexpected heating emergency can quickly become a crisis — forcing families to make impossible choices between keeping the heat on and putting food on the table or paying other essential bills," said former Congressman Joe Kennedy III, President of Citizens Energy. "Every family deserves a warm and safe home, especially when winter arrives in Massachusetts. The Emergency Winter Warmth Fund is about making sure no one has to face that choice alone. By bringing together Citizens Energy, the Commonwealth, and partners across Massachusetts, we can help families through the moments when they need a helping hand most and make sure no one is left out in the cold."
The cost of heating oil is currently 70 percent higher this winter compared to this week last year and prices are likely to remain volatile. In Massachusetts, the average price of home heating oil reached $6.08 per gallon as of Sept. 28, up 73 percent from $3.52 last year. Approximately one in five Massachusetts households relies on heating oil, particularly in older homes and rural communities.
"No one should be afraid to turn on the heat when costs are high. This is a matter of public health," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. "We are standing up new programs to help middle class families stay warm and safe this winter. We are also taking actions to provide savings on electric bills and expand support for low-income customers. This is also why we need to continue our all-of-the-above approach to energy to bring down costs and put an end to this costly volatility our residents can't afford."
Governor Healey's energy affordability plan includes:
New Middle Class Home Heating Oil Assistance Benefit
For the first time, Massachusetts is creating a new home heating oil assistance benefit for households earning between 60 percent and 100 percent of State Median Income, extending assistance to middle class families that have traditionally fallen outside eligibility for existing heating assistance programs. For a family of four, this means households earning more than $103,049 and up to $171,749 may qualify for the new one-time emergency benefit.
Approximately 50,000 Massachusetts heating oil households are expected to qualify and receive up to $680 per household. Assistance will be available beginning in December until the end of the heating season on April 30, 2027, or until funding lasts.
The new benefit will be administered by the same local organizations that currently provide home energy assistance across Massachusetts. More information is available at www.mass.gov/heatinghelp.
The Administration will provide an additional $15 million to increase winter heating assistance for approximately 156,000 low-income households across Massachusetts.
HEAP is a free, federally-funded statewide resource that assists eligible renters and homeowners by paying a portion of their winter heating bills directly to their heating companies. During the 2025-2026 heating season, the HEAP program provided financial assistance to more than 156,000 Massachusetts households, representing over 300,000 people.
Current support ranges from approximately $525 to $1,200 per household. Under Governor Healey's plan, households that heat with oil will receive a 20 percent increase in assistance, while households that heat with utilities will receive a 15 percent increase.
Homeowners and renters can apply for HEAP online at www.mass.gov/heatinghelp or through local administering agencies across the state. The assistance period runs from November 1, 2026, through April 30, 2027. Households whose heat is included in their rent can also qualify, and households do not need to be on public assistance or have unpaid heating bills to receive assistance.
The Administration will transfer $80 million in state funding to eliminate the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program charge from residential and commercial electric bills for three months this winter, while the program continues to deliver benefits to all Massachusetts ratepayers.
The SMART program supports incentives for qualifying solar projects across Massachusetts and is funded through a charge on electric customers. For January-March 2027, the state will cover those costs so they are not passed on to residential customers.
The Administration will also take emergency regulatory action to reduce the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard by 50 percent this winter, providing an estimated $20 million in additional ratepayer relief.
The Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard was established in 2009 to support certain large heating and cooling systems, through costs included in electricity supply rates. The Administration will begin reducing required obligation for the program this winter to lower those costs for ratepayers.
Governor Healey also announced in partnership with Citizens Energy Corporation the creation of a new Emergency Winter Warmth Fund to provide additional help to families struggling with heating costs this winter.
Citizens Energy Corporation will launch the fund with an initial $100,000 contribution. Funding will support both existing heating assistance for low-income households and the new middle class home heating oil assistance program created by Governor Healey. Contributions to the fund will be distributed through the existing network of local administering agencies, building on the state's $49 million investment in heating assistance and helping more families receive support this winter. More information can be found at citizensenergy.com/warmth.
