Electric disconnections in Massachusetts, 2024
Massachusetts ranks 48th of 51, 1st being the highest rate. The Massachusetts total is 50,116 disconnections on about 2,704,513 accounts, 7.5 per 100 below the U.S. rate of 9.4. It also counts 1,070,408 final-notice events. Events, not homes: an account cut off twice counts twice.
Massachusetts month by month
Massachusetts: April peaked at 7,460 disconnections, December bottomed at 870. Per 100 Massachusetts accounts the monthly rate ran from 0.03 (December) to 0.28 (April). Massachusetts averaged 0.04 a month in December to February and 0.17 in June to August: summer ran 4.4 times winter.
Massachusetts disconnections per month, 2024
- 1,032Jan
- 1,205Feb
- 3,170Mar
- 7,460Apr
- 5,921May
- 4,659Jun
- 3,950Jul
- 5,101Aug
- 6,263Sep
- 6,720Oct
- 3,765Nov
- 870Dec
| Month | Massachusetts final notices | Massachusetts disconnections | Massachusetts reconnections | Massachusetts accounts | Massachusetts per 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 112,396 | 1,032 | 883 | 2,700,906 | 0.04 |
| February | 98,631 | 1,205 | 1,117 | 2,698,867 | 0.04 |
| March | 95,882 | 3,170 | 2,660 | 2,712,360 | 0.12 |
| April | 138,996 | 7,460 | 5,857 | 2,701,108 | 0.28 |
| May | 88,675 | 5,921 | 5,118 | 2,696,565 | 0.22 |
| June | 72,080 | 4,659 | 3,904 | 2,686,439 | 0.17 |
| July | 76,805 | 3,950 | 3,220 | 2,705,407 | 0.15 |
| August | 70,618 | 5,101 | 4,128 | 2,704,786 | 0.19 |
| September | 82,555 | 6,263 | 5,112 | 2,704,954 | 0.23 |
| October | 94,758 | 6,720 | 5,773 | 2,709,021 | 0.25 |
| November | 62,944 | 3,765 | 3,533 | 2,724,082 | 0.14 |
| December | 76,067 | 870 | 822 | 2,709,665 | 0.03 |
| Year | 1,070,408 | 50,116 | 42,127 | 2,704,513 (mean) | 1.85 (yearly) |
Scale Massachusetts to your town
Statewide rate for Massachusetts: 1.85 per 100. A single utility can sit far from it.
Massachusetts utilities that reported
Massachusetts: 19 utilities reported. They sum to 47,513 of the 50,116 disconnections in the state total; Massachusetts Electric Co alone reported 25,121 (50%).
16 Massachusetts utilities have 5,000+ accounts and twelve months of data. Their rates run from 0.0 (Town of Wellesley - (MA)) to 9.1 (City of Chicopee - (MA)) per 100.
| Massachusetts utility | Disconnections | Avg accounts | Per 100 | Final notices | Reconnections | Months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Electric Co | 25,121 | 1,210,221 | 2.1 | 644,490 | 20,104 | 12 of 12 |
| NSTAR Electric Company | 12,630 | 1,082,432 | 1.2 | 230,569 | 11,115 | 12 of 12 |
| City of Chicopee - (MA) | 2,119 | 23,198 | 9.1 | 43,803 | 2,119 | 12 of 12 |
| City of Holyoke - (MA) | at least 1,525 (9 months) | Not published | No rate | Not published | Not published | 9 of 12 |
| City of Peabody - (MA) | 1,456 | 22,537 | 6.5 | 3,766 | 1,456 | 12 of 12 |
| Fitchburg Gas & Elec Light Co | 1,303 | 26,290 | 5.0 | 20,091 | 1,064 | 12 of 12 |
| City of Taunton | 1,291 | 34,331 | 3.8 | 19,236 | 871 | 12 of 12 |
| City of Westfield - (MA) | 684 | 16,200 | 4.2 | 11,917 | 617 | 12 of 12 |
| Town of North Attleborough - (MA) | 329 | 12,596 | 2.6 | 8,586 | 300 | 12 of 12 |
| Town of Middleborough - (MA) | 290 | 14,836 | 2.0 | 6,727 | 290 | 12 of 12 |
Massachusetts against its neighbours
Massachusetts sits in the New England division. Its 5 division peers average 3.4 per 100; the highest is Maine at 5.2 and the lowest Rhode Island at 1.5. Massachusetts is 1.6 below the division average.
| Massachusetts borders | Rank of 51 | Per 100 | Gap to Massachusetts | Times Massachusetts | Final notices per 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 31st | 4.3 | +2.4 | 2.31x | 27.1 |
| Vermont | 41st | 3.2 | +1.4 | 1.75x | 162.3 |
| New Hampshire | 44th | 3.0 | +1.1 | 1.59x | 31.0 |
| New York | 47th | 2.4 | +0.6 | 1.32x | 70.4 |
| Rhode Island | 50th | 1.5 | -0.3 | 0.82x | 59.0 |
Closest in the ranking to Massachusetts: Alaska 2.5, New York 2.4, Montana 1.8, Rhode Island 1.5.
How firm the Massachusetts number is
Massachusetts response rate: 95.1% weighted by size, 90.5% by count. Utilities reported 47,513; EIA's adjustment is +2,603 (+5.2% of 50,116). Largest monthly relative standard error, Massachusetts: 15.8%. EIA flags no Massachusetts month. Flag codes and method.
Shutoff rule read for Massachusetts
| Massachusetts rule | What the text says |
|---|---|
| Cold weather | Between Nov 15 and Mar 15 a company may not shut off or refuse to restore service where the customer certifies that the service provides heat or runs the heating system, it was not shut off for nonpayment before Nov 15, and the customer cannot pay because of financial hardship ((1)(a)3, (1)(b)). |
| Protected customers | Protected also if a customer or household member is seriously ill, or a child under 12 months lives in the home, plus financial hardship. Claim may be made by phone; serious illness by physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner or local board of health. Hardship form and serious-illness certificate or infant proof due within 7 days; certificates are conclusive unless the Department decides otherwise. |
| Notice before disconnection | Arrearage notices must carry a prominent notice of the protections; heating accounts get phone/personal notice no earlier than 3 days before shutoff Nov 15 - Mar 15 ((5),(7)). Base notice periods in other sections not read. |
| Complaints | Customer may dispute a company's denial of protection by contacting the Department (of Public Utilities) within 7 days; company may not terminate pending resolution ((2),(6)). No phone number read. |
Read: 220 CMR 25.03, checked 2026-10-02. 'Company' under 220 CMR 25.00 (scope section 25.01 not read in this session); not stated in text read whether it reaches municipal light plants.
Not legal advice; check your Massachusetts notice.
Help in Massachusetts
Massachusetts LIHEAP eligibility as listed: Heating, Crisis, & Weatherization: 60% State Median Income.
Massachusetts benefits as listed: Heating: $200 minimum, $600 maximum Crisis: Winter $600 Weatherization: $18,500 maximum.
Programs named for Massachusetts: Discount Rate; New Start; National Grid.
What this means for you in Massachusetts
- Massachusetts had 1,070,408 final notices and 50,116 disconnections: 5 disconnections per 100 notices. A notice is not a disconnection.
- Massachusetts reconnections ran at 84 per 100 disconnections. The data give no time to restore.
- Cold-weather rule in Massachusetts, as we read it: Between Nov 15 and Mar 15 a company may not shut off or refuse to restore service where the customer certifies that the service provides heat or runs the heating system, it was not shut off for nonpayment before Nov 15, and the ... April was the busiest Massachusetts month by count.
- To contest a Massachusetts notice: Customer may dispute a company's denial of protection by contacting the Department (of Public Utilities) within 7 days; company may not terminate pending resolution ((2),(6)). No phone number read.
- Cannot pay in full? Ask your Massachusetts utility for a payment plan, then the LIHEAP office above.
More
Sources
Form EIA-112, Residential Utility Disconnection Survey, calendar year 2024, EIA release page (released 2026-04-14, file retrieved 2026-10-07). Utility file: electric utility-level workbook; report: 2024 Residential Utility Disconnections Report. Monthly CSV
Questions
How many electric disconnections were there in Massachusetts in 2024?
50,116 in Massachusetts, of which utilities reported 47,513. That is 1.9 per 100 accounts, 48th of 51.
Does 1.9 per 100 mean 2% of Massachusetts homes lost service?
No. The 50,116 Massachusetts disconnections are events; a home cut off twice counts twice. EIA gives no count of distinct Massachusetts homes.
Which month had the most disconnections in Massachusetts?
April, with 7,460. December had 870.
How many Massachusetts utilities have a yearly rate?
16 of 19. The rest left a month blank or share a name with another row.