Electricity rates — Massachusetts
A household in Massachusetts using 1,000 kWh a month pays about $1,240.92 a year on the cheapest of 13 generally available plans — Greater Boston Residential R-1 (A1) from NSTAR Electric Company. Rates checked September 2, 2026. A further 26 schedules are published but restricted — means-tested, closed to new customers, or needing particular equipment — and they are priced further down.
Not indexed. This page does not yet meet the site’s own publication threshold — covers the same tariffs as /utility/nstar-electric-company; canonical points there. It is shown because the data behind it is real, not because it is complete.
Cheapest 25 of 39 priced plans, 1,000 kWh/mo
| Plan | Per year | vs cheapest | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Boston Residential Assistance A4 (R-3) without electric heatflat rate · assistance rate | $1,175.88 | −$65.04 | 9.8¢ |
| Cambridge Electric Light Company Residential Space Heating R-3 (04)flat rate · needs electric heating | $1,175.88 | −$65.04 | 9.8¢ |
| Greater Boston Residential R-1 (A1)✓ cheapestflat rate | $1,240.92 | — | 10.3¢ |
| Greater Boston Residential Assistance A2 (R-2) with electric heatflat rate · assistance rate | $1,240.92 | — | 10.3¢ |
| Cambridge Electric Light Company Residential R-1 (01)flat rate | $1,240.92 | — | 10.3¢ |
| South Shore Residential R-1 Annual BS (32)flat rate | $1,240.92 | — | 10.3¢ |
| South Shore, Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard Residential Space Heating R-3 BS (86)flat rate · needs electric heating | $1,327.92 | +$87.00 | 11.1¢ |
| Western Massachusetts Residential Space Heating Low Income Rate R-4flat rate · low-income rate | $1,400.16 | +$159.24 | 11.7¢ |
| Eastern Massachusetts Residential Space Heating Low Income Rate R-4flat rate · low-income rate | $1,419.12 | +$178.20 | 11.8¢ |
| South Shore, Cape Cod and Martha Vineyard Residential R-1 Annual CLC (32)flat rate | $1,438.56 | +$197.64 | 12.0¢ |
| Western Massachusetts Residential Discount Rate (R-2)flat rate · assistance rate | $1,583.28 | +$342.36 | 13.2¢ |
| Western Massachusetts Residential Space Heating R-3 (A4)flat rate · needs electric heating | $1,592.88 | +$351.96 | 13.3¢ |
| Eastern Massachusetts Residential Discount Rate (R-2)flat rate · assistance rate | $1,607.28 | +$366.36 | 13.4¢ |
| Eastern Massachusetts Residential Space Heating R-3flat rate · needs electric heating | $1,614.12 | +$373.20 | 13.5¢ |
| Eastern Massachusetts Residential Rate (R-1)flat rate | $1,802.28 | +$561.36 | 15.0¢ |
| Cape Cod Residential Space Heating R-3flat rate · needs electric heating | $2,043.96 | +$803.04 | 17.0¢ |
| Cape Cod Residential Space Heating Low Income Rate R-4flat rate · low-income rate | $2,043.96 | +$803.04 | 17.0¢ |
| Cape Cod Residential Rate (R-1)flat rate | $2,117.52 | +$876.60 | 17.6¢ |
| Cape Cod Residential Discount Rate (R-2)flat rate · assistance rate | $2,117.52 | +$876.60 | 17.6¢ |
| South Shore, Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard Residential Space Heating R-3 BS (86)flat rate · needs electric heating | $2,958.48 | +$1,717.56 | 24.7¢ |
| Greater Boston Residential Assistance A4 (R-3) without electric heatflat rate · assistance rate | $3,051.36 | +$1,810.44 | 25.4¢ |
| Cambridge Electric Light Company Residential Space Heating R-3 (04)flat rate · needs electric heating | $3,051.36 | +$1,810.44 | 25.4¢ |
| South Shore, Cape Cod and Martha Vineyard Residential R-1 Annual CLC (32)flat rate | $3,069.12 | +$1,828.20 | 25.6¢ |
| Greater Boston Residential R-1 (A1)flat rate | $3,116.40 | +$1,875.48 | 26.0¢ |
| Greater Boston Residential Assistance A2 (R-2) with electric heatflat rate · assistance rate | $3,116.40 | +$1,875.48 | 26.0¢ |
14 further schedules are published and priced but not listed here — mostly regional and seasonal variants of the plans above. The dearest of them costs $4,183.44 a year at this usage.
Cost across usage levels
The cheapest plan at each consumption level, showing whether the ranking holds as usage changes.
- 500 kWh/mo — cheapest $665.52 (Greater Boston Residential R-1 (A1)), dearest $2,151.72, a $1,486.20 spread
- 1,000 kWh/mo — cheapest $1,240.92 (Greater Boston Residential R-1 (A1)), dearest $4,183.44, a $2,942.52 spread
- 2,000 kWh/mo — cheapest $2,391.84 (Greater Boston Residential R-1 (A1)), dearest $8,246.88, a $5,855.04 spread
What a typical bill costs
At 1,000 kWh a month the 39 priceable plans here run from $1,240.92 on Greater Boston Residential R-1 (A1) to $4,183.44 on Cape Cod Residential Rate (R-1), with a median of $3,069.12.
The spread is $2,942.52 a year — about $245.21 a month for identical electricity.
Effective rates, bill divided by kilowatt-hours, span 10.3¢ to 34.9¢ per kWh at that usage.
How the answer changes with usage
Greater Boston Residential R-1 (A1) is cheapest at every level tested — $665.52 a year at 500 kWh a month, $2,391.84 at 2,000 kWh.
The penalty for a poor choice grows with usage: $1,486.20 a year at 500 kWh against $5,855.04 at 2,000 kWh.
Cheapest 6 plans at 1,000 kWh a month
Greater Boston Residential Assistance A4 (R-3) without electric heat — $1,175.88 a year, 9.8¢ per kWh effective, flat rate. It carries a $7.50 monthly standing charge.
Cambridge Electric Light Company Residential Space Heating R-3 (04) — $1,175.88 a year, 9.8¢ per kWh effective, flat rate. It carries a $7.50 monthly standing charge.
Greater Boston Residential R-1 (A1) — $1,240.92 a year, 10.3¢ per kWh effective, flat rate. It carries a $7.50 monthly standing charge.
Greater Boston Residential Assistance A2 (R-2) with electric heat — $1,240.92 a year, 10.3¢ per kWh effective, flat rate. It carries a $7.50 monthly standing charge.
Cambridge Electric Light Company Residential R-1 (01) — $1,240.92 a year, 10.3¢ per kWh effective, flat rate. It carries a $7.50 monthly standing charge.
South Shore Residential R-1 Annual BS (32) — $1,240.92 a year, 10.3¢ per kWh effective, flat rate. It carries a $7.50 monthly standing charge.
How these plans are structured
Of 39 priceable plans: 39 flat-rate.
Fixed monthly charges run from $7.00 to $10.00.
Who provides these plans
Every plan here comes from NSTAR Electric Company — a limit of what has been indexed, not a claim that it is the only provider in Massachusetts.
The largest saving available here
Moving from Cape Cod Residential Rate (R-1) to Greater Boston Residential R-1 (A1) saves $2,942.52 a year at 1,000 kWh a month, with no change in consumption.
What this does not cover
Only one utility in Massachusetts has been indexed so far, so the ranges above are not statewide. A household served by another provider will not find its plans here yet.
New to these terms? The methodology page explains tiered bands, time-of-use periods and fixed charges, and sets out exactly what the rate engine assumes.
Estimate — your actual bill may differ.
Tariff structures from NREL/OpenEI Utility Rate Database (CC0 1.0), retrieved September 2, 2026.
Location resolved through the US Census Bureau Geocoder (Public domain) at 42.3601, -71.0589.