MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES - NOTICE OF FILING AND PUBLIC HEARINGS

Petition of Boston Gas Company, doing business as National Grid, pursuant to G.L. c. 164, § 94 and 220 CMR 5.00, for Approval of a General Increase in Base Distribution Rates for Gas Service and a Performance-Based Ratemaking Plan.

On January 16, 2026, Boston Gas Company, doing business as National Grid, (“National Grid” or “Company”), filed a petition with the Department of Public Utilities (“Department”) for an increase in gas base distribution rates. The Department has docketed this matter as D.P.U. 26-50 and has suspended the effective date of the proposed rate increase until December 1, 2026, to investigate the propriety of the Company’s request. The Company was last granted an increase to base distribution rates in Boston Gas Company, D.P.U. 20-120 (2021).

National Grid seeks to increase its gas base distribution rates as part of its effort to generate approximately $342 million in additional revenues. National Grid’s revenue deficiency includes the transfer to base distribution rates of approximately $198 million associated with capital investments completed through December 31, 2024 as part of the Company’s gas system enhancement program (“GSEP”). Net of these adjustments, the proposed overall increase to revenues is approximately $144 million, which the Company states represents a twelve percent increase in distribution revenue. The proposed base distribution rate increase is in addition to changes to other rates, such as supply rates and reconciling mechanisms, that occur during the year.

As part of its filing, National Grid proposes to implement a five-year performance-based ratemaking (“PBR”) plan, which would allow the Company to adjust its base distribution rates on an annual basis through the application of a total revenue cap formula that accounts for inflation. The proposed PBR plan also includes a consumer divided; a provision to recover or return exogenous costs outside of the Company’s control, including an expanded definition to address certain significant capital investments; a provision to share excessive earnings; and a provision to share savings with customers realized from undertaking certain non-pipeline alternative projects. National Grid proposes several individual performance metrics to gauge the Company’s progress on its PBR plan commitments.

National Grid also seeks to implement a recovery mechanism for annual incremental revenue requirement associated with capital investments necessary to comply with gas safety regulations prescribed by 220 CMR 101. The Company makes additional proposals regarding gas safety and regulatory compliance, including the hiring of additional personnel and accounting changes related to certain repairs. Additionally, National Grid seeks to make a one-time recovery request, during the PBR plan term, of the costs associated with the Company’s liquified natural gas life-cycle integrity projects. National Grid also seeks funding to establish a research, development, and demonstration program related to certain aspects of gas distribution operations.

National Grid’s filing also includes information on its billing practices and related issues stemming from the Company’s failure to render timely bills during the 2024-2025 winter season, including the Company’s request to recover the total sums waived, refunded, or credited to customers because of the billing delays. Further, National Grid’s filing includes information regarding the Company’s Gas Business Enablement program and a proposal to recover program costs. The Company also proposes delaying recovery of certain GSEP-related costs to mitigate the bill impact of the requested rate increase.

The Company’s filing also includes proposed adjustments to certain revenue and expense categories, as well as the recovery of certain capital investments made through March 31, 2026. Further, the Company’s filing provides information on the impact of the sale of its Rhode Island affiliate. National Grid’s filing also includes pension, depreciation, and tax-related proposals. Additionally, the Company proposes rate design changes, including increases in customer charges; a multi-tiered low-income discount for eligible customers; and consolidated legacy

(i.e., Boston Gas Company and Colonial Gas Company) rate classes. The Company also proposes tariff revisions to implement its various proposals.

The foregoing is not intended to be an exhaustive list of issues set forth in the Company’s filing. Additional information regarding the foregoing proposals, and all other proposals set forth by National Grid, can be found in the Company’s filing, which is located on the Department’s website as noted below.

In addition to the issues and proposals raised in National Grid’s filing, the Department may examine in this proceeding the issues surrounding third-party contractor invoicing for concrete and asphalt restoration, previously docketed for investigation in D.P.U. 25-176.

National Grid states that if its petition is approved as requested customers can expect the following bill impacts:

For customers in the Boston Gas Company service area:

• A residential heating customer receiving service under Rate R-3 that uses on average 106 therms of gas per month during the winter season will experience a monthly bill increase of $23.66 (8.4 percent);
• A residential non-heating customer receiving service under Rate R-1 that uses on average 14 therms of gas per month during the winter season will experience a monthly bill increase of $4.99 (9.3 percent);
• A residential low-income heating customer receiving service under Rate R-4 that uses on average 765 therms of gas annually will experience bill impacts that will vary depending upon income and placement in the appropriate low-income discount tier. The bill impacts will vary from an increase of 17.0 percent to a decrease of 65.0 percent; and
• A residential low-income non-heating customer receiving service under Rate R-2 that uses on average 164 therms of gas annually will experience bill impacts that will vary depending upon income and placement in the appropriate low-income discount tier. The bill impacts will vary from an increase of 19.0 percent to a decrease of 64.0 percent.

For customers in the former Colonial Gas Company service area:

• A residential heating customer receiving service under Rate R-3 that uses on average 106 therms of gas per month during the winter season will experience a monthly bill increase of $24.76 (9.4 percent);
• A residential non-heating customer receiving service under Rate R-1 that uses on average 14 therms of gas per month during the winter season will experience a monthly bill increase of $5.14 (10.0 percent);
• A residential low-income heating customer receiving service under Rate R-4 that uses on average 765 therms of gas annually will experience bill impacts that will vary depending upon income and placement in the appropriate low-income discount tier. The bill impacts will vary from an increase of 18.0 percent to a decrease of 65.0 percent; and
• A residential low-income non-heating customer receiving service under Rate R-2 that uses on average 164 therms of gas annually will experience bill impacts that will vary depending upon income and placement in the appropriate low-income discount tier. The bill impacts will vary from an increase of 20.0 percent to a decrease of 64.0 percent.

For commercial and industrial (“C&I”) customers:

• C&I customers can expect bill impacts to vary. According to the Company, based on average monthly usage during the winter season, depending on usage, rate class and whether the customer would be reclassified as a result of the Company’s proposed rate consolidation, the monthly bill impacts will range from a decrease of 37.5 percent to an increase of 37.8 percent.

Additional bill impact information and additional detail about the filing can be found at: https://mass.gov/info-details/national-grid-2026-gas-base-distribution-r....

The Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (“Attorney General”) has filed a notice of intervention in this matter pursuant to G.L. c. 12, § 11E(a). Further, pursuant to G.L. c. 12, § 11E(b), the Attorney General has filed a notice of retention of experts and consultants to assist in her investigation of the Company’s filing and has requested Department approval to spend up to $600,000 in this regard. Pursuant to G.L. c. 12, § 11E(b), the costs incurred by the Attorney General relative to her retention of experts and consultants may be recovered in the Company’s rates.

The Department will conduct in-person public hearings to receive comments on the Company’s petition as follows:

March 18, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.                                                                                             

Lowell Senior Center                                                                                                         

276 Broadway Street                                                                                                         

Lowell, Massachusetts 01854                                                                                         

Interpretation services available in Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and Khmer.     

March 23, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.

North Quincy High School

316 Hancock Street

North Quincy, Massachusetts 02171

Interpretation services available in Mandarin and Cantonese.

March 26, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.                                                                                             

Dennis-Yarmouth Intermediate Middle School Auditorium

137 Monument Street                                                                                                 

South Yarmouth, Massachusetts 02664                                                                          

Interpretation services available Interpretation services available in Brazilian Portuguese.

March 31, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.

Haverhill High School Auditorium

286 Station Avenue Haverhill, Massachusetts 01832

Interpretation services available Interpretation services available in Spanish.

April 6, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.                                                                                                 

Breed Middle School Auditorium                                                                                     

90 O'Callaghan Way                                                                                                        

Lynn, Massachusetts 01905                                                                                            

Interpretation services available in Spanish.                                                                 

April 9, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.

Acton Town Hall Auditorium

472 Main Street

Acton, Massachusetts 01720

Interpretation services available in Chinese (Mandarin) and Haitian Creole.

April 15, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.

Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities

One South Station, 3rd Floor

Boston, Massachusetts 02111

Interpretation services available in

Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin), French Creole, Vietnamese, and Brazilian Portuguese.

In addition to the above in-person hearings, the Department will conduct a virtual public hearing using Zoom videoconferencing on April 13, 2026. The session will begin at 7:00 p.m. Attendees can join either session by entering the link, https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88522494757, from a computer, smartphone, or tablet. No prior software download is required. For audio-only access to the public hearing, attendees can dial in at 1-646-558-8656 (not toll free) and then enter the Webinar ID: 885 2249 4757. Interpretation services will be available in Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Khmer, Brazilian Portuguese, and Russian over the Zoom platform by clicking the “Interpretation” button on the menu at the bottom of the Zoom application screen and selecting your language (i.e., English, Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Khmer, Brazilian Portuguese, and Russian).

The Department will accept written comments on the Company’s filing until the close of business (5:00 p.m.) on April 30, 2026. Written comments from the public may be sent by email to [email protected] and [email protected], and the Company’s attorney, Robert J. Humm, Esq. at [email protected]. Please note that in the interest of transparency any comments will be posted to our website as received, and without redacting, personal information, such as addresses, telephone numbers, or email addresses. As such, consider the extent of information you wish to share when submitting comments. The Department strongly encourages public comments to be submitted by email. If, however, a member of the public is unable to send written comments by email, a paper copy may be sent to Peter A. Ray, Secretary, Department of Public Utilities, One South Station, Boston, Massachusetts, 02110.

Any person who desires to participate otherwise in the evidentiary phase of this proceeding shall file a petition for leave to intervene no later than 5:00 p.m. on February 20, 2026. A petition for leave to intervene must satisfy the timing and substantive requirements of 220 CMR 1.03. Receipt by the Department constitutes filing and determines whether a petition has been timely filed. A petition filed late may be disallowed as untimely, unless good cause is shown for waiver under 220 CMR 1.01(4). To be allowed, a petition under 220 CMR 1.03(1) must satisfy the standing requirements of G.L. c. 30A, § 10. All responses to petitions to intervene must be filed by 5:00 p.m. on the second business day after the petition to intervene was filed. Any person who seeks to intervene in this matter and desires to comment on the Attorney General’s notice of retention of experts and consultants must file the comments no later than 5:00 p.m. on February 20, 2026.

All documents should be submitted to the Department in .pdf format by e-mail attachment to [email protected], [email protected], and to the Company’s attorney at the above email addresses. The text of the e-mail must specify: (1) the docket number of the proceeding (D.P.U. 26-50); (2) the name of the person or company submitting the filing; and (3) a brief descriptive title of the document.

All documents submitted in electronic format will be posted on the Department’s website through our online File Room as soon as practicable (enter “26-50”) at: https://eeaonline.eea.state.ma.us/DPU/Fileroom/dockets/bynumber. To the extent a person or entity wishes to submit comments or intervene in accordance with this Notice, electronic submission, as detailed above, is sufficient. To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), please contact the Department’s ADA coordinator [email protected] or (617) 626-1282.

For further information regarding National Grid’s filing, please contact the Company’s attorney, identified above. For further information regarding this Notice, please contact [email protected].

Translation and Interpretation Services

English

ATTENTION: Translation and/or interpretation services are available upon request. Please email Kaylee Burgess at [email protected] to request language services, specifying your preferred language and contact information.

Español (Spanish)

ATENCIÓN: Los servicios de traducción y/o interpretación están disponibles bajo solicitud. Por favor envíe un correo electrónico a Kaylee Burgess en [email protected] para solicitar los servicios de idiomas, especificando su idioma preferido e información de contacto.

Português (Portuguese)

ATENÇÃO: Disponibilizamos nossos serviços de tradução e/ou interpretação de acordo com a sua demanda. Para solicitar um serviço linguístico, envie um e-mail para Kaylee Burgess através do endereço [email protected], informando o idioma desejado e seus dados para contato.

简体中文 (Simplified Chinese)

提醒您：您可依需要申请提供笔译和/或口译服务。 请发送电子邮件给 Kaylee Burgess（[email protected]）来申请语言服务要求，并注明您的首选语言和联系信息。

繁體中文 (Traditional Chinese)

提醒您: 您可依照需求申請筆譯和/或口譯服務。請以電郵聯絡Kaylee Burgess（[email protected]）來申請语言服务请求，請在電郵內註明需要的語言和聯絡資訊。

Kreyòl Ayisyen (Haitian Creole)

ATANSYON: Gen sèvis tradiksyon ak/oswa entèpretasyon ki disponib sou demann. Tanpri voye imèl bay Kaylee Burgess nan [email protected] pou mande sèvis lang, ki enfòme lang ou pi pito a ak enfòmasyon kontak ou.

Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)

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Français (French)

ATTENTION : Des services de traduction et/ou d'interprétation sont disponibles sur demande. Veuillez envoyer un e-mail à Kaylee Burgess pour demander des services linguistiques, [email protected]à l'adresse en précisant votre langue préférée et vos coordonnées.

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ខ្មែរ (Khmer)

ជូនចំព ោះ៖ ពេវាបកប្របឯកសារ និង/ឬអ្នកបកប្របផ្ទាល់ គឺមានតាមការពេនើេ ំ។ េូមព្ញើអ្ ៊ីប្មលពៅ Kaylee Burgess តាម [email protected] ព ើមប៊ីពេនើេ ំពេវាកមមប្្នកភាសា ពោយបញ្ជាក់ភាសាប្ លអ្នកចង់បាន និងព័ត៌មានទំនាក់ទំនង។

Pусский (Russian)

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한국어 (Korean)

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