7 min read • Updated October 2026 • By the CliQ Team — the team that created Blink
Why are Massachusetts energy bills going up this winter? Mostly heating oil. The average price hit $6.08 a gallon in late September, up 73% from $3.52 a year earlier, and the governor's office ties the jump to the war in Iran. About one in five Massachusetts households heats with oil. Electric rates aren't spiking the same way. They're just high: about 30.5 cents per kilowatt-hour, against 18.3 cents nationally.
On October 5, Gov. Maura Healey declared a State of Energy Emergency and announced nearly $150 million in relief, including a new benefit of up to $680 for middle-income households that heat with oil. Here's what's driving each bill, who qualifies for help, and the part you control.
Why Massachusetts Heating Oil Bills Jumped
Heating oil is priced off the global oil market, and that market has been rattled. As of September 28, the average Massachusetts price was $6.08 a gallon, according to the state, up 73% from the same week last year. Oil-heated homes are concentrated in older houses and rural towns, the places where switching fuels is hardest.
The jump is big enough to change how people buy. CBS Boston spent a day in September with Metro Energy, a South Boston oil dealer that's been around for a century. The phones were busy weeks earlier than usual. With oil at $5.89 a gallon that day, the company was suggesting some customers order a partial fill instead of topping off, in case prices come down before the next delivery.
Video by CBS Boston via YouTube, September 2026. Not affiliated with CliQ.
A partial fill is a bet that prices fall, not a forecast that they will. It spreads the cost out, which helps a tight budget. It doesn't lower the price per gallon. The state's emergency declaration also turned on Massachusetts' price-gouging protections for petroleum products, and state agencies are now directed to investigate excessive or misleading heating oil prices.
The math on one fill-up: at last year's $3.52 a gallon, a 200-gallon delivery cost about $700. At $6.08, the same delivery costs about $1,216.
Why Gas and Electric Bills Stay High
Gas bills can rise even when gas gets cheaper. Massachusetts gas companies filed their winter rates in September, for bills starting November 1. WCVB walked through the numbers. Eversource and National Grid both said the price of the gas itself is down from last winter. But a winter gas bill also covers pipe replacement and state programs like Mass Save, so the totals moved in different directions:
- Eversource (former NSTAR Gas): about 7% higher.
- Eversource (former Columbia Gas): about 5% lower.
- National Grid (Boston Gas): flat.
- National Grid (Colonial Gas): about 1.6% lower.
Those are proposals, and the Department of Public Utilities has to approve them. There's a bigger catch for National Grid customers: a separate base-rate increase National Grid has asked the DPU to approve by January 1 could add another 8.4% for Boston Gas customers and 9.4% for Colonial Gas customers this winter.
Video by WCVB Channel 5 Boston via YouTube, September 2026. Not affiliated with CliQ.
Electric rates are high, not rising fast. Massachusetts paid an average of 30.49 cents per kilowatt-hour in July 2026, according to the EIA, roughly the same as a year earlier and about two-thirds above the national average of 18.31 cents. Much of that is structural. New England leans heavily on natural gas to make electricity, and in cold snaps the region's pipelines are stretched between heating homes and running power plants, which pushes winter power prices up. See how that stacks up against other states in which states have the highest electricity rates.
The emergency plan trims two charges from electric bills this winter. The state will cover the SMART solar program charge on home and business electric bills for January through March 2027, about $80 million in total. And it will cut the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard obligation in half, worth about $20 million. The state says the plan will lower bills for about 85% of ratepayers.
Fuel Assistance in Massachusetts: Who Qualifies This Winter
If you've never qualified for heating help before, check again. This winter's rules reach further up the income ladder than they ever have. CBS Boston covered the announcement.
Video by CBS Boston via YouTube, October 2026. Not affiliated with CliQ.
HEAP (fuel assistance): bigger benefits this year
The Home Energy Assistance Program pays part of your winter heating bill directly to your heating company, for any fuel: oil, gas, electric, propane, wood. Benefits usually run about $525 to $1,200 a household. This winter they go up 20% for oil heat and 15% for gas or electric heat. The income limit is 60% of state median income: $53,585 for one person, $103,049 for a family of four. Renters qualify, including if heat is included in your rent, and you don't need unpaid bills or to be on public assistance. Qualifying also brings automatic discounts on electric and gas bills from the investor-owned utilities. Applications opened October 1 for the season running November 1 to April 30. Apply at mass.gov/heatinghelp or call the Heat Line at (800) 632-8175. It's free. Anyone charging an "application fee" is running a scam.
New: up to $680 for middle-income households that heat with oil
For the first time, households earning between 60% and 100% of state median income can get help. For a family of four, that's more than $103,049 and up to $171,749. This benefit is for oil-heated homes only. It's a one-time payment of up to $680, available from December until April 30, 2027, or until the money runs out. About 50,000 households are expected to qualify. It's run by the same local agencies that handle fuel assistance; details are at mass.gov/heatinghelp.
Winter shutoff protection: November 15 to March 15
Gas and electric companies can't shut off service that heats your home during the winter if your household has a financial hardship, which means you can't pay and you meet the fuel assistance income guidelines. Call your utility and return its financial hardship form within seven days. The bills still add up, so pay what you can before the protection ends in March.
Emergency Winter Warmth Fund
Citizens Energy launched a new fund with the state to add money to both programs above, distributed through the same local agencies. More at citizensenergy.com/warmth.
The Part You Control: How Much You Burn
The price of a gallon of oil is set on the world market. Your gas and electric rates are set by the DPU. How much heat your house uses is set on your wall.
Space heating is the single biggest energy use in a typical US home, 42% of it, according to the EIA. The Department of Energy says you can save up to 10% a year on heating and cooling by turning the temperature back 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours a day, like overnight or while the house is empty. (DOE does caution that deep setbacks aren't a good fit for heat pumps.)
What a setback is worth on oil: EIA estimated last winter's heating bill for an oil-heated home at about $1,749. A disciplined setback saves roughly $140 to $175 of that. With oil now up about 70%, every degree you turn back is worth more.
The catch is "disciplined." Nobody remembers to turn the heat down every night and back up every morning, all winter. A schedule does it for you. For more ways bills run high beyond the price of fuel, see why your electric bill is so high, and check what a normal electric bill looks like.
That's where CliQ comes in. It's a $69.99 smart thermostat that runs the setback for you. You set four temperatures for morning, day, evening, and night. Away mode drops the temperature when you leave and brings it back when you're home, including automatically based on your phone's location. The app is free, with no subscription.
It's also built for the kind of house Massachusetts has a lot of. Boiler heat, with hot-water baseboard, radiators, or steam, usually means a two-wire thermostat and no C-wire, the constant-power wire most smart thermostats need. CliQ doesn't need one. It works with most 24V systems: boilers, gas furnaces, and electric forced air. It doesn't control electric baseboard heat or ductless mini-splits. If your old thermostat is a compatible Honeywell two-wire model, CliQ clicks onto the existing wall plate with no tools. Otherwise it's a screwdriver and a few minutes.
Oil's price is set on the world market. How much you burn is set on your wall.
See the CliQ Smart Thermostat →$69.99 MSRP. No C-wire required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Massachusetts energy bills going up this winter?
Mainly heating oil. The average Massachusetts price reached $6.08 a gallon in late September 2026, up 73% from a year earlier, which the governor's office ties to the war in Iran. About one in five households heats with oil. Some gas bills are also rising because of pipe replacement and program charges, and electric rates remain among the highest in the country.
How do I apply for fuel assistance in Massachusetts?
Apply online at mass.gov/heatinghelp, through your local fuel assistance agency, or by calling the Heat Line at (800) 632-8175. Applications opened October 1, 2026 for the November 1 to April 30 heating season. The income limit is 60% of state median income, $103,049 for a family of four. Applying is free.
Who qualifies for the $680 heating oil benefit in Massachusetts?
Households that heat with oil and earn between 60% and 100% of state median income, which for a family of four is more than $103,049 and up to $171,749. It's a one-time payment of up to $680, available from December 2026 until April 30, 2027 or until funding runs out, through the local fuel assistance agencies.
How much is heating oil in Massachusetts right now?
The state reported an average of $6.08 a gallon as of September 28, 2026, compared with $3.52 a year earlier. Prices change daily and vary by dealer, so call more than one.
Can my utility shut off my heat in winter in Massachusetts?
Not if your household has a financial hardship. From November 15 to March 15, gas and electric companies can't shut off service that heats your home if you can't pay and meet the fuel assistance income guidelines. Call your utility and return its financial hardship form within seven days. You still owe the bills.
Why are Massachusetts electric rates so high?
Massachusetts averaged 30.49 cents per kilowatt-hour in July 2026, about two-thirds above the national average, according to the EIA. New England depends heavily on natural gas for electricity, and limited pipeline capacity in winter pushes power prices up. Delivery charges and state program charges add to the total.
Prices verified as of October 2026. Check retailer links for current pricing.
Sources
Office of the Governor — Governor Healey Announces New Winter Energy Bill Relief for Massachusetts Families, October 5, 2026 — mass.gov
Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities — Learn about Home Energy Assistance (HEAP) — mass.gov
Massachusetts Legal Services — Winter Moratorium Protection Against Shutting Off Heat — masslegalservices.org
US Energy Information Administration — Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, average residential price by state — eia.gov
US Energy Information Administration — New England natural gas pipeline constraints and winter prices — eia.gov
US Department of Energy — Programmable Thermostats — energy.gov
US Energy Information Administration — Residential Energy Consumption Survey 2020, end-use consumption — eia.gov
US Energy Information Administration — Winter Fuels Outlook, Table WF01 — eia.gov
Photo by Nate Hovee via Pexels
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