Latest news with #KerryKavanaugh
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What's that charge for? We're breaking down your utility bills
Many of us saw crazy high home-heating bills this winter. Massachusetts energy bills were already among the highest in the country. Now, as we approach the hottest months of the year, we know many of you are paying close attention to your utility bills. Do you ever look at those bills and wonder what all those charges are? Anchor and investigative reporter Kerry Kavanaugh is breaking down your bill to explain what you're paying for and why. We met a lot of ratepayers who don't really understand their bills. 'Sometimes I pay $350 and then this Monday came down to $146. No explanation,' said Massachusetts ratepayer, Giuseppe Guarino. 'Not everyone can understand that stuff.' 'I probably should, but I don't,' said Massachusetts ratepayer Janet Holmes. 'I think people really want to know what goes into their bills,' said Kyle Murray, Director of State Program Implementation for the Acadia Center--a non-profit focused on renewable energy. Murray agreed to sit down with Kavanaugh and go line by line through some energy bills, breaking them down, dissecting each of the charges. The first charge listed on an electric bill is the Customer Charge. 'That is basically the charge of meters,' said Murray. And the cost for utility companies to read those meters, fixed usually at $10 a month. The Distribution Charge is the cost of carrying power from substations to your home. 'The stuff that's in state that's carrying it from substation to your home. Think those smaller poles and wires,' said Murray. Murray says think of the Transmission Charge as the cost of big towers carrying power across the region. Not to be confused with the Transition Charge which allows utilities to recover assets stranded after energy restructuring decades ago. Oddly, that can appear as a negative charge. The Energy Efficiency Charge funds the Mass Save program--funding rebates and incentives to make homes more efficient. Murray says that has benefitted ratepayers whether they use the program or not. 'Because of the fact that Mass Save has been such a successful program, I believe the numbers around, we've reduced our energy build out that we would have had to do by about 20%. So that's a lot of savings that are delivered, even if you've never used the program at all,' Murray said. Next is the Renewable Energy charge. 'So, the renewable energy charge goes to a trust fund that funds the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. And they are focused on clean energy innovations,' said Murray. Don't have solar? You still have two charges associated with it. The Net Meter Recovery Charge --goes to homes with solar power producing more energy than they consume The Distributed Solar Charge--provides consumers with incentives to install solar on their homes. 'It is efficiency measures for your home,' Murray said. 'It's not generation side for your homes.' And the Electric Vehicle Charge funds the state's electric vehicle program. 'I couldn't believe that I'm getting charged for electric cars and solar panels, which I don't have neither one of them,' said Massachusetts ratepayer Carmen Lopez. Lopez echoes a sentiment of some ratepayers and that of the conservative non-profit, the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, which advocates for government and fiscal transparency and accountability. 'I would slash them [charges] all,' said Paul Craney, the executive director of the alliance. 'I mean as a consumer if you want to pay for these projects, you certainly can but a lot of people don't want to play for these projects. Craney said the markets should decide whoever can produce the best product at the cheapest cost and consumers should choose what they want. Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance blames high energy bills in part on the state's push for electric energy. 'It all comes back to a bill, a law that was passed in Massachusetts, the Global Warming Solutions Act,' Craney said. 'And so, as ratepayers, people who pay these bills, we are now starting to fund these mandates. We're just in the beginning phase of how expensive this is going to become on the ratepayers.' Craney argues natural gas is a more reliable energy source, and often a cheaper one. Murray, with the Acadia Center, disputes that. 'No, it's not always the cheapest. And in many cases investing in renewables such as solar or wind or hydro come in significantly cheaper at those moments and that's why it's really important to have a mix of fuels rather than just going all in on natural gas which is what we kind of did in the past,' Murray said. 'You're subject to the whims of the market when if production is down, prices can spike. Or if demand goes up, prices spike. So, this ends up with the consumer not necessarily knowing what their bill is going to look like due to things that are largely out of their control and largely out Massachusetts' control too.' But Murray says there should be a conversation about what programs fall to the ratepayer in their monthly utility bill. 'We can't keep putting programs on the backs of rate payers. It's just not sustainable in the long-term,' Murray said. 'I think additionally we can start looking at what goes into the bill and determining should this be volumetric or should this maybe be a fixed charge or should it altogether maybe be removed from the bill, and put into the tax base somewhere.' There's not a lot of itemized charge breakdown in a gas bill. Right now, Massachusetts gas bills are just broken down by supply and delivery costs. The Supply Charge is the market price for the gas. The Delivery Charge is primarily the pipes in the ground. Many agree more transparency in gas bills is a must. 'The more information that we all have the better,' said Massachusetts ratepayer Ingrid Stobee. 'I wish she didn't have to always check this information but it's pretty tough right now.' The Healey Administration has asked the Department of Public Utilities to direct gas companies to start breaking out the renewable energy charge on gas bills. Ratepayers should start seeing that by next fall, the start of the next home heating season. The Administration told Kavanaugh some solar programs --imbedded in supply costs-- are being phased out, which should save ratepayers money. Major changes to utilities bill would require the state legislature to act. Maria Hardiman spokesperson for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs told Boston 25 News: 'We're taking action to bring down costs and make sure price spikes don't keep happening to our residents. Governor Healey's Energy Affordability Agenda delivered $220 million in immediate relief and will lead to nearly $6 billion in savings over five years. We're getting people help now, keeping costs off bills, and getting ahead of surprise price shocks. She will also soon file an energy affordability and independence bill to explore new ways we can make Massachusetts more affordable. We will use every tool we have to help make sure families and businesses can afford to heat their homes and keep the lights on.' The Healey Administration did not offer a firm timeline on when the energy-related legislation would be filed. In March, Governor Healey laid out some actions to immediately reduce costs for ratepayers, including a one-time $50 dollar bill credit. Healey also announced a $500 million dollar reduction in funding to the Mass Save Program for 2025-2027. Boston 25 News reached out to the major energy providers in our region about what ratepayers are up against the changes that have been proposed. National Grid says throughout this past winter heating season, they connected with customers through email, bill inserts and social media, as well as through targeted outreach to customers who may need additional financial assistance. National Grid told us its' web site has extensive resources on understanding both gas and electric bills as well as information on our bill assistance programs. They directed viewers to the following links: Electric: About Your Bill | National Grid Help Paying Your Bill | National Grid Gas: Help Reading Your Bill Help Paying Your Bill | National Grid A spokesperson for Eversource told Boston 25 News: 'We are committed to transparency for our customers, their bills and the costs they pay, and are constantly working to provide insight and information on this complex topic. As part of that commitment to transparency, we are currently evaluating ways to improve our bill presentation, particularly for natural gas bills, and expect to implement updates in coming cycles for rate adjustments – including, among other potential improvements, listing the energy efficiency surcharge as a separate line item on natural gas bills going forward as we already do on electric bills.' Eversource customers can get insight into their gas bills here. A spokesperson with Unitil, which serves Ashby, Fitchburg, Lunenburg, Townsend, Gardner, and Westminster, told Boston 25 News 'understanding what appears on an energy bill isn't just about knowing the charges, it's also about finding ways to take control of energy use and costs. At Unitil, we want customers to feel confident reading their bill, and to be aware there are resources, programs, and choices that can help them save.' Unitil says it is 'broadly supportive' of greater transparency in customer bills. 'The DPU recently directed Massachusetts gas companies to present the Energy Efficiency Charge as a separate line item on customer bills prior to the start of the next heating season. If the DPU moves forward with additional changes to gas bill itemization, we will work collaboratively to implement it in a way that is helpful and easy to understand for our customers.' Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
South Shore school takes individualized approach to helping students with autism
2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the birth of modern special education. In 1975, Congress passed what's now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. Throughout the year, Boston 25 News is celebrating the achievements of students and educators. We're also highlighting the challenges and barriers that still exist in our state for young people with special needs. Advocates say the number of students with autism in Massachusetts has more than doubled in the last 10 years. Schools and school districts are working to understand and meet each student's needs. For students on the autism spectrum, the needs are varied. Some students with autism don't thrive in a typical school setting. Districts work hand-in-hand with area collaboratives for student who might need another option. Boston 25′s Kerry Kavanaugh recently visited Pilgrim Academy in Plymouth, part of the area collaborative serving the South Shore. 6th grader John Luciano was her tour guide. To say John was proud to show off his classroom would be an understatement. The markers of success are built into the routine for this classroom of students with autism, visible reminders of what than accomplish even if they make a mistake. 'And feels kind of nice to just know that even if you go down, you can always rise back up,' Luciano told Kavanaugh. That's an important reminder for any student, especially those who are neurodivergent and, before they landed at Pilgrim Academy, struggled just to get through the day. 'I just couldn't envision myself, like, having a future, at all, if any,' said 11th grader Francisco Kasameyer-Kelly. He says it was around 7th grade when his typical school setting was triggering anxiety and panic attacks. The right fit for his education was a game changer. 'I can just hold a conversation with anyone randomly,' he told Kavanaugh. 'All these other minor things that other people don't worry about that I used to dread having to do a normal school.' Francisco told Kavanaugh he has both an autism diagnosis and ADHD. 'It's not just their needs from being on the autism spectrum,' says Lauren Mathisen, Director of Clinical and Therapeutic Services for the Plymouth Area Collaborative. Mathisen says students often have a variety of needs. 'Students that come from difficult families or who have suffered trauma, who have comorbid disabilities,' she said. 'We have students who also have social emotional difficulties and behavioral struggles.' But when their needs are met — success is sweet. 'It allows for a great deal of understanding and compassion, as I have experienced very the same struggles that they have at one point or another,' says former student, Dan McMahon. McMahon now works at Plymouth Academy as education support professionals. So does former student Elijah White. 'It's like being in the middle of a mirror. You see both sides. You see where the adults come from where the students come from,' said White. 'Yeah, there's tough days. Yeah. We push through.' 'I try to let them know that they are not alone,' said McMahon, And they're not alone in a supportive community. Just ask John Luciano. 'Like if somebody got hurt, somebody can help them up. If somebody is not doing good at work, somebody has to help them with the work,' said Luciano. As the need for more specialized education grows on the South Shore and across the state, many collaboratives say physical space is in short supply. 'So that's one of our biggest needs, is finding space,' said Mathisen. The Pilgrim Academy can serve students Kindergarten through Grade 12. Currently Mathisen says they don't have a Kindergarten or Grade 1 cohort because of the current lack of room. Another challenge as communities work to find the best fit for all students. 'Coming to this school and being able to confidently be who I want to be, it's kind of opened up that passageway for me to walk through,' said Kasameyer-Kelly. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
South Shore nonprofit helps people struggling with vision loss stay connected to their communities
Boston 25 News is proud to support the Talking Information Center, a Marshfield based nonprofit organization ensuring people with vision loss stay connected to the communities that they live and work in. On Tuesday, anchor and investigative reporter Kerry Kavanaugh spoke at the Collective Impact Luncheon for advocates, donors, and state lawmakers. Every week, 200 volunteers read newspapers, magazines, announcements, and other printed materials to listeners. Those readings are recorded and shared through radio, online, and a variety of other avenues. The Talking Information Center has a big reach with more than 25,000 listeners yearly. If you want more information about these services and how to listen or how to volunteer as a reader, visit the Talking Information Center's website — Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
