Paying the bills is never a good time, and it’s even worse when the economy is in recession, while fees still increase. A resident in a lower-middle-class city in Massachusetts speaks out about how unreasonable their monthly billing has become. “Our city is one of the worst-impacted in the area,” they explain, going over how their bill can easily be $700+ per month during winter. “That is completely unsustainable,” groans the resident, as anyone paying almost a thousand dollars for bill fees is absurd.
The reason behind the skyrocketing fees is reportedly the gas and electricity company that monopolizes the city’s services. “We have been running the ACs this month, and I live in constant fear of what my electric bill will bring,” the Massachusetts resident says worriedly, considering how costs just seem to go up every time they pay them. “No one is sure how to fight this,” they claim, as the primary provider of energy in the area also runs its monopoly, giving locals little to no other options. However, a few Redditors offer their ideas.
“Time to just buy a propane tank you fill yourself,” says the top commenter of the Massachusetts person’s complaint post. Another chimed in, saying that they have been able to save so much money by switching to propane instead of using the overpriced gas. “[It’s the] Same everywhere,” noted one Reddit user, sharing their own experience. “Recent MA National grid electric bill. ~ $239.00 delivery, $130.00 supply charge. If that’s not a rip-off, [I] don’t know what is.” Others agreed that propane is a great alternative option, while solar power is another viable energy source, provided their state allows it.
Several Redditors noted that, while fees aren’t as outrageous as $700+ a month, the bills in their state are still ridiculous and a pain to pay. As one person puts it, “Delivery charges for electric / gas is highway robbery.. like absolute criminal.. it shouldn’t cost more to get the sh** than it does to use it.” The overpriced billing is something that needs to be fixed, not just in Massachusetts, but in the US as a whole. Maybe, it’s one of the few good differences the current administration might be able to make, if its extreme focus on immigrants and transpeople is shifted to more pressing matters, like monopolized power and energy.
