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Winter Energy Price Spike Communications Resources

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MAPC >> Resources >> Community Engagement >> Winter Energy Price Spike Communications Resources

Winter Energy Price Spike Toolkit

A communications and social media toolkit for Massachusetts municipalities.

Electricity, natural gas, and delivery fuel (oil) prices have increased across the Northeastern United States this winter, due in large part to global supply chain disruptions resulting from the pandemic and exacerbated by Russia’s war with Ukraine. Northeastern states rely heavily on imported natural gas to heat people’s homes and generate electricity, with more than half the homes in Massachusetts heated by gas. Increased supply costs are being passed on to consumers, some of whom will experience more than a 50% increase in utility bills as a result. These price increases come at a time when many residents are also experiencing skyrocketing costs for day-to-day household expenses that are exacerbated by inflation, forcing people to choose between heating their homes and meeting their other needs. While programs like the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provide critical resources for those in most need, this program alone is likely not enough to cover the full needs of both low-moderate-income residents or middle-income residents who are no longer able to afford their energy bills. Support for utility assistance and reducing energy bills will have to come from a range of sources. This toolkit is to support your communications efforts with your community about those resources.

Get in Touch

If you have any questions, please contact the MAPC Clean Energy Department at Cleanenergy@mapc.org.

Press Contacts:

Amanda Linehan
Communications Director
617-388-1556
alinehan@mapc.org

Tim Viall
Senior Communications Specialist
tviall@mapc.org

How to Use this Toolkit

The entire Greater Boston region will be affected by rising energy utility costs this winter. We encourage municipal governments, state legislators, nonprofits, educational institutions, and individuals to use this toolkit to communicate with your residents about available tools and resources to help grapple with these cost increases. This toolkit includes information from utilities, state agencies, and others, as well as template social media content you can tailor for your own community and use. In addition to providing easy-to-use communications resources, this guide aims to provide background on why these energy price increases are happening and how they are impacting residents across Massachusetts.

Toolkit Objective
This guide provides easy-to-use communications resources to inform consumers, residents, and small businesses about the increase in energy costs and near-term solutions. This guide includes:

Resources for residents in your community
Social media language and images
Utility assistance fliers in 8 languages (English, Arabic, Cape Verdean Creole, Haitian Creole, Khmer, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese)
Links to additional resources

Did You Know?

The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) estimates that residential customers will see the following cost increases:

Natural Gas- 28.6% increase
Heating Oil- 18.6% increase
Propane- 3.0% increase
Electricity- 54.6% increase

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Resources for Residents in Your Community

Education and Customer Advocacy Resources from the Attorney General’s Office

The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (AGO) provides resources for consumer protection in many industries including energy utilities. The AGO provides information for utility customers to better understand their risks and ask questions, as well as ways to file customer complaints or dispute utility bills if they feel they are being wrongfully charged.

Customers who have concerns about their utility rights should contact the AG’s consumer assistance hotline at 617-727-8400.
Customers can also file a Consumer Complaint online through the Consumer Advocacy and Response Division to resolve utility bill disputes and submit formal complaints.
Find out more information “Frequently Asked Questions About Electric and Gas Utilities”
Access printable flyers on utility price increase and finding resources. Available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Modified Chinese.

For Your Residents Needing Support in Paying their Utility Bills

Residents should ask their utility company if they qualify for an income-eligible rate which provides a discount on the customer’s entire bill and is based on the previous four weeks of gross household income. Residents who currently qualify for the following programs may qualify: SNAP, Head Start, Mass Health, free and reduced school lunch, Supplemental Security Income, and Public Housing benefits. Residents may also qualify for balance forgiveness or an “arrearage management program” (AMP). The AMP provides for an individualized payment plan that, if followed, allows for all or a portion of a customer’s outstanding unpaid balance to be forgiven.

Additionally, most utilities offer a 12-month payment plan to customers having trouble paying their monthly bills. During enrollment in a payment plan, the customer is protected from having their service shut off. For more information on these programs:

To enroll in a Utility Payment Plan or seek Bill Assistance:
- Eversource: Payment Plans & Assistance | Eversource
- National Grid: Help Paying Your Bill | National Grid (nationalgridus.com)

Income-Eligible Electricity Rate Application:
- Eversource: Discount Rate (eversource.com)
- National Grid: Discount Rate Application - Massachusetts (nationalgridus.com)

Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): Low-income residents/households may be eligible for the Federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program’s (LIHEAP) fuel assistance program. Learn more about the program and how to qualify for assistance here.
- Find more information through the Massachusetts Cold Relief brochure here or call the Cold Relief Hotline at 1-800-632-8175.
Local Community Action Program (CAP) Contacts: These agencies provide a wide range of services, including fuel assistance and utility assistance, and administer LIHEAP. Residents can find their local CAP agency here: Agencies - MASSCAP
The Good Neighbor Fund: Residents who aren’t eligible for LIHEAP, other Federal, or State programs, may be eligible for the Massachusetts Good Neighbor Energy Fund. This fund provides resources to any Massachusetts resident who, because of temporary financial difficulty, cannot meet a month's energy expense. A household’s income must fall between 60% and 80% of the state's median income levels. This program is a partnership between utility companies and the Salvation Army of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Good Neighbor Energy Fund (magoodneighbor.org).

What Can Your Residents Do to Reduce Utility Costs?

Energy Saving Tips

There are many actions residents can take to reduce their energy consumption and lower their energy bills.

Plug Leaks and Reduce Drafts: Mass Save offers discounts on supplies for sealing air leaks and weatherizing homes, no appointment required. Learn more here.

Get Heating and Cooling System Serviced and Replace Filters: Regularly servicing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems can help make sure they are running efficiently and prevent unexpected breakdowns. Residents should check the filters on their heating and cooling systems regularly and replace them if they are dirty. This can help the system run more effectively and improve indoor air quality.

Thermostat Adjustments: Residents should adjust their heat settings and install programmable thermostats; even adjusting by 1-2° can help save on energy costs. Residents can turn down their heat when they’re not at home and get a free programmable thermostat from Mass Save.

Water Heater Temperature Adjustments: Residents should set their water heater temperature to a maximum of 120° Fahrenheit to save energy costs. Adequate insulation around the water heater can also help reduce energy usage.
Check out more energy saving tips here!

Weatherization and Energy Efficiency

Residents can save significant energy costs over the long run by weatherizing their homes and investing in energy efficient equipment. These programs typically have a long lead time, so residents should sign up early or go directly through a designated contractor.

Conduct a Home Energy Audit through Mass Save: Homeowners and landlords can contact Mass Save, the Commonwealth’s energy efficiency program, for a free home energy efficiency audit and learn ways to reduce energy usage.

Renter Discounts through Mass Save: Mass Save offers special discounts and free weatherization for renters and landlords. Learn more at https://www.masssave.com/en/learn/renters

Low-Income Energy Affordability Network (LEAN) Multifamily Program: If residents live in an affordable multifamily apartment building with 5 or more units, they can talk to their building manager about the LEAN Multifamily Program. The LEAN program offers no-cost energy efficiency upgrades for Massachusetts residents living in multi-family affordable housing units. To check eligibility and apply here or call 617-348-6425.

Community Solar Energy

Residents may also be able to save money and stabilize their electricity costs by pursuing solar energy, either on their homes or by participating in a community solar project. Community solar allows residents to benefit from solar energy even if they don’t have the ability to install it on their own homes or properties.

To learn more about Community Solar and available programs see MassCEC’s Community Solar page.
Energy Sage Market Place also provides a platform to search for available programs by zip code.

Municipal Aggregation

Residents who participate in their municipality’s aggregation program (also known as green municipal aggregation in some municipalities) will stay in their current program and not be affected by these increased rates at this time. Municipal aggregation programs allow a municipality to source its electricity supply on behalf of residents and the contract locks in prices for a designated period of time. Residents still receive service from their local utility; only their energy supply source is different based on the program. However, municipalities and residents may see price increases when their current contract ends and a new contract is signed.

To see if your municipality has a community choice aggregation, please refer to: Municipal aggregation | Mass.gov or contact your local government.
If you work for a municipality and are interested in starting a municipal aggregation program, please see MAPC’s Green Municipal Aggregation toolkit and information on how to start, and reach out to cleanenergy@mapc.org.

A note about energy supply contracts at the individual residential level– As more energy brokers have entered the deregulated market, consumers are increasingly approached by predatory brokers attempting to sell them energy contracts. The AGO has released several reports tracking these practices and found that individual residential customers have spent $426 million more on electricity prices than if they had stayed with the basic services price. Aggregation programs offer municipalities a platform to vet brokers and suppliers for residents and businesses through government procurement procedures.

Note: residents are protected from utility shut offs if they or someone in their household is seriously ill, have an infant under 12 months, or all adults are 65+ years old plus have a minor living with them (the utility must get approval from DPU in this case). Everyone is protected from electricity and gas shut-offs during the coldest months between November 15th and March 15th. However, during this time a utility customer will continue to accrue debt if bills are unpaid and may be at risk of shut-off when the winter moratorium ends in March.

Social Media

Hashtags You Can Use

#EnergyCosts #UtilityAssistance #EnergyBills #EnergyEfficiency #SaveOnEnergyCosts #ReduceEnergyCosts

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A Few Best Practices

Know Your Audience: Who are you posting this information to? Residents? Create your social posts with that audience in mind.
Know the Platform: The social media platform you are using to post on should inform how and what you're posting. For example, posting on Twitter is for more immediate, word-limited posts. LinkedIn is for professional audiences, and there isn't a word limit. Facebook is for more causal postings. You can use the same post across platforms but we recommend changing it up a bit based on the platform!
Accessibility: Ensure your social posts are accessible to all by making sure to use alt text, and if you use hashtags, capitalize every first letter of each word in the hashtag. Learn about ways to make your social postings accessible.
Interactive: Amplify other sources on social media, such as official sources, agencies, and experts, by sharing or retweeting their posts.
Tag Us! Be sure to tag MAPC in your social posts to reach a larger audience. Please feel free to also retweet any posts we do as well.

Social Media - Graphics

Right-click on the images below and choose "save image as" to save to your computer. Then, compose your own social media post or use some of the sample language further below. The social graphics should work well on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Image is a social card. A purple background, with a woman on the rightside on her cell phone and holding a utility bill. The text says, "Are you struggling with your energy bills this winter? Contact your utility provider about discounted rates, payment plans, and other ways that they can help. Find out who your provider is here: mapc.ma/FindMyElectricGas-Water"

Image is a social card that has a purple background with an African-American man on the righthand side pushing a button on his thermostat and smiling. Text says, "Did you Know your local Community Action Agency may be able to assist you with fuel assistance this winter? Learn more here: mapc.ma/HelpWithHeatingCosts"

Image is a social card, with a purple background. In the righthand side is a Caucasian men with brown glasses, brown hair, and he has his cell phone up to his ear. He's wearing a dark tshirt and a blue button up shirt. Text says, "If you're a renter and your utility bills are too high, talk to your landlord about Mass Save or visit the website to learn about ways to save; mapc.ma/EnergySavingsforRenters

Image is a social card with a purple background and on the righthand size is a utility worker wearing a white hard hat, yellow safety glasses, and reflective green jacket. The person is holding a tablet. The text says, "An energy assessmet is a great way to find out how to make your home more energy efficient, which can help you save money. Visit 866-527-SAVE and/or contact your Community Action Agency mapc.ma/HelpWithHeatingCosts to learn more." Then it has small print at the botton that says, "Do so as soon as possible because demand is high and wait times are getting longer!"

Image is a social card with a purple background. In the righthand side is an elderly white man with glasses sitting and wearing a bulky sweater, a puffy vest over it, fingerless gloves, and holding a coffee mug in his hands. Text says, Are you struggling with your energy bills this winter? Contact your utility provider about discounted rates, payment plans, and other ways that they can help. Find out who your provider is here: mapc.ma/FindMyElectricGas-Water"

Social Media - Sample Social Posts

You are welcome to copy, paste, and add to or change the sample social posts below. You can use them in conjunction with the social graphics above, or by themselves.

Are you struggling with your energy bills this winter? Contact your utility provider about discounted rates, payment plans, and other ways that they can help. Find out who your provider is here: mapc.ma/FindMyElectricGas-Water.

Did You Know that your local Community Action Agency may be able to assist you with fuel assistance this winter? Learn more here: mapc.ma/HelpWithHeatingCosts

An energy assessment is a great way to find out how to make your home more energy efficient, which can help you save money. Call Mass Save (866-527-7283) and/or contact your Community Action Agency (mapc.ma/HelpWithHeatingCosts) to learn more. Do so as soon as possible because demand is high and wait times are getting longer!

If you're a renter and your utility bills are too high, talk to your landlord about Mass Save or visit their website to learn about ways to save: mapc.ma/EnergySavingsforRenters.

Utility Assistance Fliers in Eight languages

MAPC developed utility bill assistance fliers in 2021. The downloadable fliers are in power point and easily editable so that you can customize for your locality. Many of the links and resources are still relevant today. To download the existing fliers Utility Bill Assistance: Massachusetts Resources – MAPC.

MAPC will also be translating this entire communications toolkit into several languages, which should be available in early 2023.

Additional Resources

MA Department of Energy Resources (DOER)

“Massachusetts Household Heating Costs: Estimate of energy prices for heating fuels during 2022/23 Winter Heating Season”
This website provides a comprehensive report of rising energy prices, how it will impact residential consumers, and information on financial support for heating assistance.
Massachusetts Household Heating Costs | Mass.gov

MA Department of Housing and Community Development

“Cold Relief Brochure”
This brochure (2022-2023) has relevant information on energy assistance programs and energy saving tips.
Cold Relief Brochure 2023

Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC)

Blog Post on “Reducing Energy Burden: Resources for Low-Income Residents”.
This blog post from January 2022 covers information on what energy burden is, statistics for Massachusetts, and resources for low-moderate income residents.
Reducing Energy Burden: Resources for Low-Income Residents – MAPC

If you have other resources, you’d like to share that aren’t listed in this toolkit please send to SShyduroff@mapc.org