Massachusetts households bracing for a brutal winter heating season just got some relief. Gov. Maura Healey declared a state of energy emergency Monday and rolled out a package of measures aimed at knocking down heating and electric bills for families and businesses across the state, with officials pegging the total savings at nearly $150 million.
The centerpiece is a brand-new home heating assistance benefit that will serve roughly 50,000 middle-class households who previously didn't qualify for help, according to WHDH. As reported by NBC Boston, eligible households could receive up to $680 each, with the assistance available from December through April 30, 2027, or until the funding runs dry.
Healey's administration is also boosting help for families who already qualify for the state's main heating assistance program, which is expected to serve about 156,000 low-income households this winter. Households that heat with oil will see a 20 percent increase in assistance, while those heated by utilities will get a 15 percent bump, per the same NBC Boston account. The state is adding an extra $15 million specifically to increase winter heating assistance for those low-income households.
Electric Bill Charges Get Temporary Cuts
Beyond heating oil, the governor's plan takes aim at electric bills too. Healey removed certain charges from electric bills through an executive order, and the state will transfer $80 million to eliminate the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target, or SMART, program charge from residential and commercial bills for three months, the station notes. That relief covers January through March 2027, with the state absorbing those costs so they aren't passed along to residential customers.
Emergency regulatory action will also cut the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard by half for the winter, a move expected to deliver about $20 million in ratepayer relief, according to the same report. Taken together, the moves are meant to chip away at bills from multiple directions — heating assistance on one side, electric-charge reductions on the other.
Healey has also activated legal protections against petroleum-product price gouging in Massachusetts, and she pointed to a specific driver behind the squeeze on family budgets: she said households are feeling the war in Iran through gasoline, heating oil and electric bills, according to WHDH. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said the plan provides relief directly to people facing pressure from energy costs, per the same WHDH report.
A Nonprofit Fund Adds Another Layer of Help
Separately, a philanthropic effort is also gearing up to help Massachusetts families this winter. The Emergency Winter Warmth Fund, created by Congressman Joe Kennedy and Citizens Energy, will deliver additional relief to families facing high heating bills, according to WHDH. Citizens Energy describes itself as partnering with the Commonwealth to launch the fund for low- and middle-income households.
Why the Relief Is Landing Now
The timing lines up with a grim set of numbers for heating costs nationwide. U.S. households are projected to spend an average of $1,030 to heat their homes this winter, an $82 increase from last winter, according to WCVB. The station also reports that heating-oil costs are estimated to rise by 50 percent because of the war in Iran, with households that primarily rely on heating oil expected to see the sharpest increase.
Northeastern households specifically are projected to spend nearly $2,627 on heating oil from mid-November through mid-March this winter, the outlet's analysis found. And the gap between rising costs and existing assistance is already a concern: the average federal heating benefit households received in fiscal year 2025 was just $467, meaning families could be left covering more than $500 in additional heating costs if that assistance level holds steady, per the same WCVB report.
For context, the station notes that about 14 percent of households in New York received federal heating benefits in fiscal year 2025, more than any other state, while Alaska's average household heat benefit of $1,554 topped the nation and New Hampshire's $1,045 average ranked second. Massachusetts' own cost outlook depends on energy markets, weather and household energy use, according to a state analysis.
With those pressures mounting, Healey's relief plan includes increased support for the state's lowest-income residents alongside new assistance for middle-class families who previously fell outside the system, according to WHDH. State officials framed the overall package as an effort to lower energy costs for people across Massachusetts as the coldest months approach.
