Eversource addresses smart meter fees after customers raise concerns
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) — Eversource customers are raising concerns about costs when it comes to opting out of a smart meter and reverting to the original.
Concerns are valid when it comes to electric costs, especially when you have to deal with a gas bill as well and make sure you’re making ends meet.
Joseph Ricco has lived in Springfield for nearly 40 years and has been an Eversource customer for more than a decade. He exclusively told us how uneasy he felt when he learned how much money he would have to pay just to go back to the plan he had before. “There’s an increase coming January 1. It could be as much as 18%, depending on where you live. So, it’s ridiculous. It’s getting out of control.” Said Ricco.
He said the delivery cost has jumped four to six times higher than the supply over the last few years, and he’s also dealing with high gas bills.
Now, Ricco faces a new problem as Eversource is rolling out smart meters to customers in western Massachusetts. He wants to opt out, but it comes with a price. “I said, ‘Well if they can take out a meter, put in a smart meter and not charge us, why can’t they do that if we try to opt out?’ So, to me it’s more of, like, a punishment.” He told us.
Right now, Eversource is in the beginning stages of putting a smart meter at every single customer’s residence and business in the commonwealth. Eversource sent a statement to western mass news, saying: “With smart meters, customers can receive high-usage and high-bill alerts, see projected bill amounts, and benefit from faster outage detection and response. Over time, this technology helps reduce operating costs by eliminating the need for manual meter readings and truck rolls, which benefits all customers.”
To opt out of the smart meter plan, there is a one-time fee of $42. In addition, for those who go back to the old meter, there is a $34 monthly fee, which Eversource said covers the cost of sending an employee and a vehicle to the address and reading the meter.
However, Eversource announced a surprise development Monday afternoon. While there is no specific reason given, the one-time $42 fee is going to be wiped off.
In a statement sent to Western Mass News, the company said: “While we want all our customers to enjoy the many benefits that the modern technology of smart meters will provide, residential customers may choose to opt out. Customers will begin to receive notifications of their meter exchange about 90 days in advance, and we are waiving the $42 fee for customers who opt out within this 90-day period. We notify our customers several times prior to their meter exchange through a variety of channels.”
While some could see that as a positive with the winter months approaching, Ricco still wants everyone’s concerns to be addressed in a better manner. “I just wish someone in the local or state government would step up more than they are, if they are because I haven’t heard anything, and address the situation and help people out. People are struggling, (and) they’re going to go cold because they can’t afford the bill.”
Eversource told us that when it comes to the old meter, the $34 monthly addition to the electric bill is not a punishment, as it just a matter of the costs to send out an employee. Furthermore, all Eversource customers are enrolled in Springfield’s Community Choice Energy Program.
For those who have questions about that you can click HERE to learn more.
Copyright 2025. Western Mass News (WGGB/WSHM). All rights reserved.