Healey Calls for Immediate Utility Refunds for Massachusetts Residents

BOSTON, Massachusetts — October 14, 2026Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey is urging major electric utilities to return money to customers as soon as possible following a federal ruling that requires refunds for excessive profits collected over more than a decade.

In a letter sent October 13, Healey called on Eversource, National Grid and Unitil to begin issuing refunds rather than waiting until the federal deadline in May 2027.

The refunds stem from a March decision by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which reduced the profits transmission utilities are allowed to earn on their investments. The ruling requires the companies to return money collected through previously approved transmission rates.

How much money is involved?

An estimated $1.5 billion in refunds is owed to electric customers across New England. The exact amount Massachusetts customers will receive has not yet been established publicly.

Healey has asked the three utilities to provide a detailed accounting of the money owed to Massachusetts customers, a schedule for when refunds will be issued, and an explanation of how customers will receive their payments.

The governor requested those details by October 27.

When will customers receive refunds?

Although Healey is pushing for payments to begin immediately, the federal deadline for completing the refunds is May 20, 2027. Customers should not assume that payments will arrive immediately or that a specific refund amount has been determined for each household.

National Grid has said it is calculating the refunds and expects processing to begin in 2027, while also stating that it disagrees with the federal decision.

The amount each customer ultimately receives and the method of payment will depend on the refund process established by the utilities and relevant regulators.

What Massachusetts residents should know

Residents who receive electric service from Eversource, National Grid or Unitil should watch for official updates from their utility companies as the refund process develops.

For now, there is no confirmed universal refund amount or payment date for individual Massachusetts households.

The governor’s request comes as the state continues to address high energy costs ahead of the winter heating season.

Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette, with additional information from the Massachusetts governor’s office and federal regulatory updates.

This story will be updated as additional details about refund amounts, eligibility and payment schedules become available.