February 26, 2025 • 49 mins
Have you recently seen your utility bill almost double in price? A lot of Massachusetts residents are fed up with the rising cost of gas and the fees that go with it. The cost of natural gas is on the rise again as cold weather, production challenges, and rising export demands squeeze supplies. Natural gas futures jumped 13.66% as storage falls 5.3% below the five-year average. Why are delivery fees so high for gas and what's being done (if anything) to help ease the financial hit?
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's night time with Dan Ray. I'm telling you easy
Boston News Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
All right. During the break when many of you probably
figure I'm sitting here dreaming because I don't have a
big production staff with me. Matter of fact, I don't
have any production staff with me. Rob is back there,
but he's dealing with all sorts of issues during the break.
So let me thank Jack from Somerset for calling in.
(00:29):
Jack was absolutely right. And Tom and Lynn, if you're listening,
that Infinity car that you bought was somewhere in the
vicinity of thirty thousand dollars or thirty one thousand dollars.
That was the MSRP on the car. Okay, Now, after
six years, the value of the car is reduced to
(00:51):
ten percent, So ten percent of your thirty thousand dollars
car rounding the figure is three thousand dollars, and the
rate that is set by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on
that Infinity car is point zero two five. That means
(01:17):
that in the sixth year and all ensuing years, you
will pay point zero two five on a value of
approximately three thousand dollars. You told me you pay seventy
two dollars. The calculation that I have is you should
pay seventy five. So I suspect that they have the
(01:39):
right number. So that is why Tom, you were paying
seventy two dollars a year in that car, and that
figure will remain at seventy two dollars as an excise
tax for however long you get that car registered in Massachusetts.
That solves that problem. Thanks to Jack for helping us
out on that. But I've been able to reconfirm with him.
(02:00):
I reconfirm under Chapter sixty A, Section one. I think
Jack said it was chapter fifty five, but oh he
may have said sixty eight. But it's Chapter sixty eight,
section one. Okay. Now, I have scoured the internet trying
to find that I was wrong on what Debbie said,
(02:20):
and that Debbie said the legislature increase. She come up
with some incredible numbers, sixty four percent, Debbie. I can
find nothing on the internet, and I've done a pretty
thorough search. Whilch suggests that anything other any agency other
than the Department of Public Utilities actually raises, and as
(02:41):
I explained to you, the utility companies, the energy companies
file notices of increases or in some cases decreases, but
most often increases, and then there's hearings, and then the
Department of Public Utilities approves either the increases as requested
or recruits improved, or rejects them or improves a part
(03:03):
of them. That is why it was our politicians, in
my opinion, who in November were asleep at the switch. Now,
John Cesto in the Boston Globe wrote a piece that
I found which talked exactly about this. And again, part
of it then is created interplays with the with the weather.
(03:25):
If the weather had been relatively mild this winter, we
wouldn't have had those increases. So that's the I'm not
sure if actually I might have been mistaken whether it
was John or not, but there was an article. It
was mentioned that back in November the the increases occurred,
(03:46):
and that's that's the deal, simple as that. Am I
happy about it?
Speaker 3 (03:51):
No?
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Are you happy about it?
Speaker 4 (03:53):
No?
Speaker 2 (03:54):
But you got to get more people involved in the process.
And I think the governor was asleep at this switch.
Heir and I have you know, been fairly supportive of
the governor, but I think her people were asleep at
the switch, and someone should have said to her, you know,
those increases could come back to bite us if we
have a bad winter. Maybe they didn't think the winters
(04:14):
ever knew they would to get bad again. Maybe they
thought that, you know, the climate change stuff was really
true and that we were always going to have warmer
and warmer winters. Not so back to the call as
we go. Let me see, you're going to go to
Mike and Taunt and Mike you were first this hour
and nightside. We're continuing our conversation about the high cost
of energy this winter in Massachusetts.
Speaker 5 (04:35):
Go ahead, Mike, good evening, sir, Thank you very much
for taking a call.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
I'll be quick.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Sure, Well, thank you for calling. I appreciate it. Go
right ahead.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
All right, it's not my first time we talked before.
Speaker 5 (04:48):
That's talking about a resource. I got a bill, but
usage was one hundred and eighty three dollars. That's how
much I use for that billing period. However, delivery and
service charge the total bill was going to be eight
hundred dollars. That's pretty steep for me.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Yeah, that's a big build. There's a big bill. Let
me tell you.
Speaker 6 (05:15):
Yeah, Okay, I own a home.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
My wife and I and my daughter. We own a
home here. It's a four bedroom home. And gassy and wow,
I follow this website.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
If I'm permitted to say, it's citizens against Citizens against
ever source.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Yep, I'm familiar with the group. That's a relatively recent
group that has organized. Yep.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
Correct, And.
Speaker 5 (05:48):
You know, some of the things that I've read in it.
I don't believe everything I read, but some of the
things on it, like the CEO of a company I
just mentioned is making like eighteen million dollars per year.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
It must be nice to move up the ranks. But
holy smokes.
Speaker 5 (06:10):
Okay, so for him and the shareholders, for hiving the shareholders,
I guess that's what they do. But I also understand
that if your property tax goes up, it may have
something to do to impact that billing.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
And you know, for for the utilities and stuff.
Speaker 5 (06:30):
A lot of us here in town are on six incomes.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
We're retired, are retired from the state.
Speaker 5 (06:38):
You know, we're on fixed income and and whatnot. It's
got to be quite stressful on them.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
And so I don't completely agree with you. Here's my
question to you. Okay, yes, yes, people who are heads
of big companies tend to earn what you and I
would see as huge salaries. I have no disagreement with
your characterization of that. But people uh, in certain positions,
(07:13):
uh you know who are who are part of companies
that earn a lot of money, they tend to make
big salaries. We all, we all, we all understand that.
I don't know anyone who's going to say, well, I'm
going to cut my salary in half. Here's my question
to you. These rates are not imposed by these energy companies.
(07:39):
They're approved by the Department of Public Utilities in Massachusets.
Speaker 4 (07:46):
I have called them, I have called them, and I have.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
That's not my question, that's not That's not where I'm
going in this way. Might bear with me for sorry. Okay,
So these public utilities, the committ the members of the
the Board of Public Utilities, they're appointed by the politicians.
They're not appointed by the electric companies. They're appointed by
the politicians. When these rates were approved in November November Forest,
(08:14):
someone at the governor's office should have said to the governor,
you know, governor, let's hope we don't have a cold winter,
because if we do, energy prices in Massachusetts are going
to skyrocket. So the politicians are supposed to kind of
keep an eye. They're supposed to work in our interest,
(08:34):
and prices go up, it costs more. When the demand
goes up, it costs more. What I'm trying to say is,
if you want to channel your frustration, I wouldn't worry
about the fact that some head of one of these
big companies is making eighteen million or whatever they're making.
I would concern about where are the politicians. We live
(08:57):
in a one party state. Do you think there was
one politician who who maybe there's one or two that
we could find that issued a press release that said
these these increases are not reasonable. You know, this is
this is reaction. This is like. This is like, for example,
if you're a Red Sox fan and you bought season
(09:19):
tickets and you went to every game, and on September first,
you say, this team stinks. This is a horrible team.
They're in last place. I paid good money for my
seats and every time they come to the game they lose.
It's a little late. The time to talk about the
team not being good is early in the season. Get
some better players, get some better get some better politicians.
Speaker 5 (09:44):
Mike Sake sandwiches outside of Fenway a great though.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Yeah, how much they cost?
Speaker 5 (09:53):
Oh boy, I don't know. I haven't been there quite
a while. My dad and I used to go.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Yeah, my d jeez, take sandwiches, so you they were
great sandwiches. But he probably was empty as well. I'm
only teasing your mic. All I'm just saying is that
it's the people who are supposed to put the Red
Sox together, or the Bruins, or the Celtics or the Patriots.
If they don't do a good job, they get canned.
(10:22):
We don't can any of our politicians. We keep electing
the politicians in Massachusetts all the time. I mean.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
To do that.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Do you remember Kaien Bloom? Do you remember the names
the name of the Patriot coach after Belichick who was
fired the day after the seasons?
Speaker 7 (10:42):
Oh my god?
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Yeah, one year. That's it. So you know they they
all I'm just saying, is that blame the politicians and
blame the fact that we all go to the polls
and we vote for the same people every time. Well,
I know him, represent ended up so and so he's
a great guy. I saw him at the diner last
summer and he said to me, Hey, buddy, how are
(11:07):
you great to see you. How's it going? We're idiots.
Speaker 5 (11:13):
I hear you.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
We're we're Mike. We got and we also got to
look in the mirror and blame ourselves. You know, keep voting,
keep voting the same people in you think you're gonna
get different.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
Meetings.
Speaker 5 (11:27):
I've been follow I've been following yourself, Glenn Beck, John Hannity,
all those guys there, And you know.
Speaker 8 (11:38):
All I canna say is right now.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Thank god, I hear you.
Speaker 6 (11:44):
I hear you were here in Massachusetts.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Say no more.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
You know, yeah, I won't.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
We We had a president. We had a president for
four years who didn't have a clue.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
Oh this is too busy.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Ice cream his favorite. His favorite, I think was chocolate chip.
If I'm not mistaken. Yeah, yeah, Hey, Mike, you're a
good sport. Hang in your palace. Okay.
Speaker 4 (12:12):
I hope a little bit, Yeah I had.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
I hope. I've had a little bit of fun with you.
But I'm also I'm deadly serious. Keep keep electing the guy.
I'm not talking to you, but I'm talking to the
people out there who are who are who are listening.
You know, when you go to the polls and you
vote for the same guy or gal every time because
they saw you at the diner, or they saw you
at the stopping shop supermarket and they said hi to you. Yeah, hey, great.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
To see you.
Speaker 8 (12:42):
How are ye?
Speaker 2 (12:45):
That's that's the game in Massachusetts. They see you at
the super how's a what? How's the missus and the kids?
You know, And all of a sudden you go home
that night and you say to your wife, you know
who I met today? I met? Is that at a
Kroma four? What a great guy he said hello to me.
(13:05):
I gotta remember to vote for him Massachusetts.
Speaker 5 (13:10):
Oh that's what happens. Unfortunately, have a good one, okay,
all right, follow the money, follow the money.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
You got it? All right? Uh, I'm having fun with this.
But other than that would be crazy. If you agree
with me, great, If you don't tell me, tell me
where I'm wrong, Tell me where I'm wrong. We take
a break six one seven one, line six one seven
two five four ten thirty one line six one seven
nine three one ten thirty. We're gonna get to the
price of eggs in a few minutes, so trust me.
(13:39):
That's the theme tonight where we have we're paying too much. Okay,
they're picking our pockets. Remember in Massachusetts. Say it with me.
The only two things that are taxed are everything that
moves and everything that doesn't move. We're back on Night's
side after this.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
Night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
All right, let's go next to Stephen Norfolk. Want to
move people here a little bit more quickly. Steve, thank
you very much for your next one Night Side.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
Hi. Hi Dan.
Speaker 6 (14:16):
So uh, well, there's there's I have three different properties
that I was going to talk about when you were
talking about winterization. But I also was at my mom's
and she's in her nineties, and I looked at the
utility bill and they wanted to change the meter. And
(14:37):
they say her her efficient see is very low compared
to her surrounding neighbors. Yet there's a disclaimer that, like,
we no longer read your meters. So how do they
come to that conclusion?
Speaker 2 (14:52):
I have no idea.
Speaker 6 (14:53):
I mean, you know, I have.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Your bill sometimes says actual read and then sometimes it
says estimate.
Speaker 6 (15:07):
Right, so and and and and for some reason they
want to change the meter. And I don't know what
the deal is with that. I just saw this.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
I'll give you any let me tell you I think
I can answer you that question, okay, if I can
help you here. Under Massachusetts law, gas companies are required
to change your gas meter. Is your mom got gas
or electricity or both?
Speaker 6 (15:39):
She has natural gas?
Speaker 2 (15:41):
I believe, Okay, Well, the reason I know that is
I had my gas meter changed in my house last week.
I got a call from the National National Grid and
they said, you know, Massachusetts law requires that your your
meter be changed every seven years. So the crew came
out last Friday and changed the meat here. I guess
(16:02):
those meters at some point lose their efficiency or their
efficacy and that's so that's all I know about that.
Speaker 6 (16:09):
But that's so, that's that's fine and normal like fixed bat.
But it's weird how they say, compare to your neighbors,
you're doing very poorly, and well they could be.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
What they're probably talking about, to be really honest with you,
is the amount of heat that your mom is using. Okay,
and look right, when when folks are older, they tend
to use more heat. I can tell you that that
that you that's just really you know, and they don't
take that calculation and consideration. So if your mom is
(16:42):
is living alone in her nineties in a house. I
don't know how well isolated.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
The house is, right, No, it's a big house.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Well it's it's.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Yeah, you know, so that's probably yeah, it's probably. She's Now,
if there's a house down the street where there's a mom,
a dad and five kids and a dog, just the
heat that the activity in that house is going to generate,
is they're going to probably you know, be a little
more efficient than your mom because your mom's living alone.
So that's a factory, right right.
Speaker 6 (17:14):
And I also I also have a place on the cape,
and I got the same thing, like, oh, you did
really poorly this year, And I'm like, I don't know
why because it's last year, and they were comparing it
to last winter. That's what their basis was, and the
last winter it was mild, very mild.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Yeah. I get a lot of that too, you know
that you I don't know how they did. I think
a lot of that. They tell people they're not doing
well because they want you to turn the energy down.
Speaker 6 (17:44):
I think I have a customer that I worked for
and when her husband died, she had a very large
home in Westwood with five bedrooms. All the kids moved out.
Her husband died and she was just using one part
of the house, yep. And she got a letter saying
you're doing terrible and she goes, don't even use the
whole house. I just use this one section.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
And uh I think to some extent they kind of
make it up. And if you are at a large,
larger house, it's it's going to be caught. It's going
to cost more so, right.
Speaker 6 (18:14):
And so the other thing about the winterization thing, if
you want to hear about that, that was like three
years ago. I had them come out because my furnace
went where I live now in Northwark, so I have
no heat and I have a wood stove and uh
so I got an estimate for doing that and they
came out and I'm like, well do you want to
switch over to uh solar? And you know, so they
(18:37):
did a drone thing all versus is I don't know
if I should say the company online, I'm on your phone,
on on the radio or not.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
So they were trying to sell you.
Speaker 6 (18:46):
So they came out and they did. They seem professional
they can in the attic and and you know one
company wanted to like so in the name of nature,
they said, we get to cut down all these trees.
I'm like, yeah, I forget about it. Yeah, and I'm
like seriously. And then so the next one, I.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Get this stuff all the time in the mail, if
you want to switch to more efficient clean energy, Well,
I can tell you that the clean energy they're going
to rely upon solar and wind, it's always going to
cost you more. And they never make it very clear.
But you feel better. You feel, oh God, I'm using
(19:23):
clean energy, and all of a sudden you look at
your bill and it's twenty percent higher. And then you
call them and you say, well, why can you tell me? Well,
we figured you knew. I mean, when you get this
thing in the mail that says, if you'd like to
switch to clean energy, you'll feel very much better about yourself.
Speaker 4 (19:39):
Until you right.
Speaker 6 (19:40):
And I have the customers the same thing, and they
like they had that. They had one that went bankrupt
and they said they didn't have they put up the
panels and they ran out of money. And so in
my story what happened was I was going to have
it done and then so they said, well you get
to do the roof, and I'm like, well, oh, we'll
(20:01):
do half the roof for three thousand. I'm like well,
what's the point and half the roof, hop out the
whole roofs and they said, okay, we'll do the whole roof,
and then they gave me a price. It was just
like that sounds too good to be true kind of thing.
And I talked to a reeler and she says, don't
do it because they own that space over your house.
(20:22):
If you want to sell your house, you have to
buy them out and or remove the panels, and I'll
cost you like fifty sixty thousand dollars or something like that.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Well that's a good heads up. Hey, I'm up on
my break, Steep. Thank you for colling. Please call again.
You had a lot of information. We took a little
agga of time, but it was well worth it, Thank
you much. The only line opened six one seven nine
three one ten thirty. Both lines are there six one
seven nine three one ten thirty. We will go with
this until eleven. After eleven, we're going to go to
the price of eggs. And so you want to get
(20:53):
in get in now. Six one seven nine three one
ten thirty on your home energy costs in Massachusetts.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
I'm looking at a piece from two years ago. In
response to projections about higher energy costs than Massachusetts, several
state lawmakers have sent a few letters to the Department
of Public Utilities asking them to reassess how the utility
rates are set in the state January twenty twenty three.
(21:30):
How did that work out? Guys? The fact in the
matter is the system is broken here in Massachusetts. State
Representative John Barrett, Democratic Berkshire said, another guy from Berkshire,
if there's a way to lower these rates in a
very timely manner, I think it's important that it gets done.
State Senator Paul Mark, Democrat Berkshire said, Well, that was
(21:53):
January twelfth, twenty and twenty three. Nothing has changed. Let's
keep rolling here. I'm apologizing. I'm I've given called us
a little extra time, Rick in reading you and next
on nights, I Rick, appreciate your patience. I apologize.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
Hey, Hey, Dan high.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
Good sir, cool.
Speaker 9 (22:13):
I'm gonna sip it quick because I'm about to go
to bed. I just have a couple of questions that
I think maybe a question a lot of people are having.
So typically in private sector, if you're heading a department,
most likely you're going to be working in day to
day operation of that department for for quite a bit.
(22:33):
For example, the senior of Costco he got started as
a foot cliff driver in the warehouse, and the serial
of the nankey get started as a retail associate. The
But I was actually looking at profile of the GPU chair. Uh,
he was a lawyer, and before that he was he
(22:55):
was working in academia. We have two commissioners who are
both working.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
A lawyer for their entire career.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
Yeh.
Speaker 9 (23:03):
I was thinking, if you were having this very specific
functional department, why are we appointed or now we But
why was Governor Healing appointing lawyers attorneys to be the
head of a departiament and making this position of the
rating and great approval. This is just something I really
(23:25):
don't understand.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Well, I think I can explain it to you. I
am am looking at this right now even as we speak.
Politicians make appointments of people who have two qualifications. One
the politician knows the person who's being appointed, and two,
(23:49):
the person who is being appointed probably supported the politician,
either financially or in some other fashion during their campaigns, so.
Speaker 9 (24:01):
It doesn't matter if they actually working the fields or not.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
Well, I think the point you're making is a really
good one, okay, and I'm not dismissing or diminishing it
at all. But the reality is that in Massachusetts, you know,
I hate that. I don't want to be really as
cynical as I'd like to be, you know, to be
(24:29):
honest with you, but politicians tend to appoint I am
on the Department of Public Utility site right now, okay,
And I got to be honest with you. I'm having
a tough time even finding who the the members of
(24:52):
the commission are. To be honest with.
Speaker 9 (24:55):
You, change no brand as what h I think his
name is? The nameless here is mister James nos Grands.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Yeah, I don't know him. I'm just looking. Uh, let
me see if if I can google this and again.
Speaker 9 (25:14):
Yeah, you're gonna You're gonna go through a couple of
pages to find there to find their names.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Yeah, okay, let me just real quick quickly here members
of Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities. Uh. You know again,
what happens is that it's it's not someone who's who
you know. I mean, it's the same way when they
appoint judges. They they tend to appoint people who they
(25:41):
know and who they trust, and who who sees the
world as they do. You know, I'm I'm looking at
right here at the Department of Public is a three
member Yeah, I got it. Here. The chair is James
vin Nostrom. Let's see if I got anything on him.
(26:03):
Here spent three years as a members of adjunct faculty
at the Pace University School of Law in White Plains,
New York. He was recognized by the Energy Bar Association
in the two thousand and seven State Regulatory Practitioner of
the Year. He received his LLM in Environmental Law at.
Speaker 6 (26:30):
Pace University and hes.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Jd from the Iowa College of Law, and his master's
degree from Sunny at Albany and an undergraduate degree in
economics from the University of Northern Iowa. So this is
a guy who doesn't have much of a connection with Massachusetts.
Let's look at the next person on this group. Commissioner
(26:58):
Cecil Fraser es now the lawyer. As counsel with the Department,
she's worked on issues involving New England's wholesale electric markets.
She received her Bachelors of Arts degree in polside from
Fordham University and her j d. From Rutgers University in Camden, Okay.
Then we have a woman named Stacy Rubin. She has
(27:23):
her Masters of Public Health from Tufts, Masters of Environmental
Law from Vermont Law School, and an undergraduate degree from
New York University Law School. So we have three people
who pretty much were educated outside of Massachusetts who are
running the Department of Public Utilities. I don't know. Yeah,
(27:45):
that's interesting.
Speaker 9 (27:47):
Yeah, and also they it doesn't seem doesn't seem to
me that any of them actually has done one day
of work related to public utility. Oh well, I mean yeah,
I believe one of them has been a facilitating certain
public utility law or whatever, but none of the operation.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
Yeah, I think that it would be good to have,
you know, a group of people who are more connected
to Massachusetts.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
Now.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
I don't know how I got, to be honest with you,
this is sort of I don't know how long they're
appointed for. I don't know how much money they make.
I suspect they probably get, you know, pretty good salary,
to be honest with you, and I think it's I
think they've got to be politically connected because they're appointed
(28:42):
I believe by the governor, not necessarily by this governor.
She probably has only appointed one of them, and it
could be that they each get a term of a
few years. But it's three people. James then Nostrend from Iowa,
Cecil Fraser from looks like New York and New Jersey,
and the last lady Stacey Rubin, who seems to be
(29:05):
from She she did earn a law degree at Northeastern University,
which is good, and also a degree from Tuft's University
School of Medicine, a public health degree. But and and
and and Vermont. So you've made some points. You've made
some points right now. Everybody now knows their names. Rick.
(29:28):
I hate to do this to you, man, but but
I got others I got to get to before this
hour is up.
Speaker 9 (29:33):
Okay, all right, all right, that's fine, all right, Rick, you.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Made some great points here. I was stunned that there's
there's such very slight connections to Massachusetts on the DPU.
I don't get it. I really don't.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
All right, I'll later thank you.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Rick, appreciate it. Pretty good. Call six one seven two
four ten thirty six one seven nine three ten thirty.
I got Frank in Boston and Mike and Beverly, I
got for you, and I plan to switch to the
topic of the price of eggs at eleven o'clock. We
can continue this a little into the eleven o'clock news
if you want to call in right now, coming back
(30:10):
on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
Now, back to Dan ray Line from the Window World
night Side Studios on w b Z, the news Radio.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
The Chair of the Deep in Massachusetts was appointed on
March fifteenth for turn beginning May first, twenty twenty three.
He was appointed by Governor Healey. He's the author of
the Cold Trap, how West Virginia was left behind in
the clean energy revolution. He's obviously a clean energy guy.
Cecil Fraser was appointed by Charlie Baker in June of
(30:42):
twenty seventeen, the latest appointment by Governor Healey. Stacy Rubin
was appointed in April of twenty twenty three, little less
than two years ago. She was Vice president Environmental Justice
at the Conservation Law Foundation. I kind of know where
(31:02):
she's coming from politically. With that's all I need to know.
Let me go next to Frank and Boston. Frank, I
apologize for holding you on so long your next year.
Speaker 10 (31:10):
Sure there is a problem to stretch out payments on
the gas bills.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Yeah, they're saying that that, well, they're gonna you can
do that. You can average them out over the over
the year, so you you pay a little less in
the winter and more in the summer, but at the
end of the day, you still pay the total bill.
And they're also supposedly going to cut rates both for
National Grid and ever Source about ten percent. That's being done.
(31:40):
The commission, which is supposed to be in the ister
of the people, they ordered uh, National Grid and and
ever Source to cut their rates in the next couple
of months by five percent, and National Grid and Eversor
said we'll cut it by ten percent. So we obviously
have a very weak DPU Commission here in Massachusetts, and
(32:02):
Governor Healy should fire the three of them at this point.
If if the companies are willing to cut their rate
ten percent and these people are only willing to tell
them to cut their rate five percent, how nuts is that?
Speaker 10 (32:16):
We don't need Governor Healing. How about the commission or
not the commission, but the part of the legislature that
oversees these departments, Well, the people should be calling these legislatures.
And and then another thing too is like we can
cut our gas usage by you know, going to like
I think they call them convection ranges and also don't
(32:39):
use gas, use electricity and more economical.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
How many people? How much does the convection range cost, Frank,
I'm not familiar with that.
Speaker 10 (32:49):
I'm not sure, but I don't think it's that expensive.
Speaker 4 (32:51):
It's only a think.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
I think. I think they're quite and they're quite expensive,
and a lot of people probably are happy. That's when
we get into the question of you know, we've got
cleaner energy. Cleaner energy is a little more expensive. I mean,
the commission on this uh this uh DPU.
Speaker 10 (33:07):
And it's more controllable. It's more of us controlling it
and then instead of them controlling us. That's that's the
point of the game.
Speaker 7 (33:16):
Well maybe maybe you.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
Say, maybe you'll save ten maybe you'll save ten dollars
a month on your bill, but it will cost you
three thousand dollars to get it, to get the new
new range. That's you gotta look at the number.
Speaker 10 (33:27):
Week.
Speaker 2 (33:28):
I don't have the numbers in front of me, Frank,
And so I don't want to ask. I don't want
to advise anybody to spend a lot of money unless
I know that they're gonna they're going to recapture that
money on the other.
Speaker 10 (33:39):
End, But we get these things that tell us you're
using more gas in your neighbor. That means that we
need to or re examine our.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
Our our.
Speaker 10 (33:56):
Building's efficiency and so we can do something for ourselves.
Speaker 8 (34:02):
And now go ahead, I mean, Frank.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
I would suggest, and when do you buy? When are
you going to buy a convection of him?
Speaker 10 (34:10):
Yes, sir, okay's supposed to be even healthier.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
Are you gonna buy one?
Speaker 10 (34:14):
I supposed to be poisoning us?
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Are you gonna buy one? Frank? Frank, I got a
simple question. Try to stick with me for a second.
When are you buying.
Speaker 10 (34:23):
It in the next few months?
Speaker 2 (34:26):
Do me a favor. When you buy it, will you
call me back and let me know how much it
costs and then how much it saves in the bill.
I'd appreciate that.
Speaker 10 (34:32):
Okay, I'm surprised that you don't have one. I mean,
you're seem to be a guy who would be somebody
who would be into new technology.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
No, I'm I'm kind of a traditional guy. I like
to find stuff that works, and when people come out
with new stuff, I just want to make sure it works.
I'm one of those guys who probably uh you know,
looks before. I'm kind of a look before I leap guy, Frank.
To be honest with you, Frank, I got a couple
more I gotta sneak in. I'm gonna talk to you soon,
but call me back. You know how much how that
Evan works? Okay, thanks, thank you much. Let me go
(35:04):
next to get Mike and Beverly and Mike, you're quick,
and then I'm gonna get there.
Speaker 8 (35:07):
Well, go ahead, Mike, Hey, Dan, how are previous carler?
Let me let me know how that works over you
by that stove.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
I'm with you, That's what I was asking, Mike. I
hear you.
Speaker 8 (35:20):
But anyway, as far as this whole DPU thing goes,
you know, I mean like they're out of their mind
about the situation one. I saw a story about this
the other day, and it has to deal with the
delivery fee. Is the fee that chiding you to pay
for the mass stave program that everyone else getting that
(35:41):
free insulation and all that sort of stuff going on.
So we're paying for other people's stuff. That's how that's
going on. That's situasion.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Well well that may be true, but at the same time,
have you taken advantage of that program?
Speaker 3 (35:54):
No?
Speaker 4 (35:55):
Way?
Speaker 8 (35:56):
Okay, Well I can't afford the house, then that's why.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
Oh well if you don't have a house, that makes
no Do you rent? Is that what you rent?
Speaker 3 (36:04):
Yeah? I rent?
Speaker 4 (36:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (36:05):
Yeah? Okay? Uh and do you on your rent? Does
your rent cover the gas and electric or do you
pay a renting in the gas and electric separate?
Speaker 9 (36:13):
No, it's part of event.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
Yeah, okay, how much you how much you're renting up
in Beverly? How expensive it is to rent a nice
place in Beverly.
Speaker 8 (36:23):
I'm paying fifteen hundred for a room, then.
Speaker 2 (36:26):
Fifteen hundred just for one room. That's a lot.
Speaker 8 (36:28):
Yeah, all right, yeah, no kidding.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
I'm with you. I'm on your side, Mike. I hope
you know that. But that was a comment that was
empathetic and sympathetic to you. That's a lot of money
for a single room.
Speaker 3 (36:42):
Tell me about it.
Speaker 8 (36:42):
Yeah, I mean she said the one out by a recause.
It's not at below market rate, it's market rate. Yeah,
I mean you know, yeah, it's it's it's retarded. Yeah,
And then you know, Mari heal, I don't understand the
soldiers rage or she's out of her mind, you know,
or the how affordable housing she wants to build affordable
houses and goes who can afford affordable housing? It's ten
(37:06):
grand to get it, to get a kid to move in,
you know, for us last charity seven behind the credits.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
Hey, Mike, I want to get in there and get
on this show. Okay, thanks have me going fighting for you.
Thanks Mike, appreciate it. Let me go next to Daryl.
Get rid of some of these DPU commissioners. Get get
some new people in there who at least have some
connection in Massachusetts. Daryl, you're next on night Side, Daryl.
Go ahead.
Speaker 7 (37:30):
Hey Dan, you're talking about power meters and whatnot, and
uh but yeah, the new power meters. They're trying to
push them on because they're called smart meters, yep. And
what they do is they can actually control it from
one central location as opposed to even the ones people
have where they just drive by, and they can actually
get the power reading. And but if you look at it,
(37:54):
when they actually get all this, I'm not doing a
conspiracy thing, don't get me wrong.
Speaker 4 (37:58):
It's a but with all.
Speaker 7 (38:00):
The continued power emphasis then you actually have to. It
costs more to get new power boxes in and power masts,
and if you have a house, that's probably about minimum
ten thousand dollars for a new installation, right, money, a
lot of money. But going back to the ranges and
all the electric stoves, yep, have the old grill type
(38:24):
and or the gas stove because those are the best
for cooking eggs.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
That's well, no, that's a nice segue because next hour
we're going to talk about the price of eggs. Darryl,
thank you much. That's a perfect segue to the next hour.
Thanks Darryl. Talk soon. Here comes the eleven o'clock news,
and right after the news, we will talk about cooking
eggs and the price of eggs back on night Side
after this.
Speaker 5 (38:47):
It's nice side.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
Umbelling easy Boston's news Radio.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
Now we are going to talk about the price of
eggs in this hour. But I got one caller who
I want to give an opportunity to talk about high
energy prices. Elijah, who's in New Bedford. Elijah, you are
next on Nightside. I'll let you in here and you
can talk about either energy or eggs or both, whatever
you'd like. Go right ahead, My friend.
Speaker 3 (39:16):
As long as he keeps going up, I think I'm
gonna have to lay an egg.
Speaker 2 (39:19):
Yeah, maybe we'll all have to try to figure that out.
Speaker 3 (39:24):
No. Absolutely, And so my name is Elijah and I
represent it Isness against Egosaurs. It's the group started to
try to, you know, get organized and get situated with
what's going on with the prices of energy. We grew
from you know, zero to twenty six thousand members now
in about twenty three days. And that just you know,
demonstrates the level of anxiety and frustration and fear and
(39:48):
desperation that the people have. And that's fully representative in
the rapid growth that we've been experiencing.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
Yeah, you know, we've talked about this. I don't know
if you listen to some of the callers in the
last couple of hour. The governor made a speech today
that the Chamber of Commerce he was going to file legislation.
My question is, and if you've been listening, you've heard
me ask the question, and that is, why are the
politicians asleep at the switch? Have you looked at the
(40:16):
three members of the DPU Department of Public Utilities. They're
the ones that raised these rates in November and I
don't recall any outcry from the politicians who are up
at Beacon Hill is supposed to look after our interest
as citizens and as taxpayers and his right payers.
Speaker 3 (40:35):
Well here is a thing. You know, they're going to
do their song and dance and their political shuffle on
to pretend like they truly care. But the reality is
is that after that rate hike, one of the biggest
rate heights in Massachusetts issue was passed on November first,
politicians went ahead and passed as twenty nine sixty seven,
which is another bill associated with energy, which is loaded
(40:59):
and loaded with infrastructure hikes, and that was passed on
November fourteenth, fourteen days after that you know, initial big
rate hike, and then we got another way.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
I always say, what did what did that bill reportedly
accomplish it? What was the purpose of that bill? If
you're going to if you.
Speaker 3 (41:16):
Know so, the crux of that bill as it's word,
as it's named, is basically about infra infrastructure for you know,
the Clean Energy Initiative and consumer protections. But as it
happens within the legislative branch, we know that certain things
get gutted, you know, so they can actually be approved.
There was two predecessors to this bill, but in this
(41:36):
final version they kept the name with the final tagline
that you know in consumer protection laws, but they gutted
all those consumer protection laws before this bill actually got
signed and enacted and more really did sign it on
November twenty first. So either they're ignorant of the bills
that they're signing, or they're complacent in their evaluation of
(41:57):
the bills that they're signing. So either way, you're.
Speaker 2 (41:59):
Dont a lot of Elijah. I don't think they're ignorant.
I think they know exactly what they're doing because this
is their job. It's their full time job. You know,
in a lot of other states around the country, politicians
in New Hampshire, for example, the legislature they're paid each
they have four hundred members of their legislature out there.
(42:21):
It's a joint legislature and they get like one hundred
dollars a year. That's their salary. It's a stipend. Oh wow, yeah,
that's it. That's it. And the idea is you serve
a couple of terms in the legislature and you're able
to say you're a former you know, state representative or
all of that. But down here, most of the politicians
(42:41):
are making well into the six figures and they it's
their full time job and they're supposed to look out
for this stuff. And I didn't hear any hue and
cry from the legislature. Now maybe they thought, well, it
doesn't matter. We've had mile winters around here. But guess what,
sometimes we have a cold and we're having one right now.
(43:02):
And who's paying the price. Not the legislators because they
get reelected all the time. It's people like us who,
you know, hope that there's someone up there paying attention.
You know, where is where is the Governor's secretary of
(43:23):
Energy on this? The governor today gave this speech at
the Chamber of Commerce and she she was very short
on specifics as to what she's going to do, and
there was no forethought. And it's like, you know, she'll
file some legislation which we'll say, let's give some coupons
to people or whatever. But it's really frustrating. It's really
(43:43):
frustrating both as as somebody who watches the legislature. It's
frustrating to me, and I'm sure it's frustrating to you.
You're you're just getting involved in the political process. You've got,
you know, quite a group of people that are with you.
I hope you can keep together and and and become activists.
Speaker 3 (44:03):
Well, I mean, let's break it down from the beginning, right,
I mean, they passed this law and then, like I said,
two weeks later, they ended up signing another law, which
is that s twenty nine to sixty seven, which those
rate heights we yet to feel, and we will feel
them in April May around the apel May because it
takes about ninety days after a bill is initiated, and
for this specific dolar bill that has a bunch of infrastructure,
(44:25):
you know, they are permits that need to be found,
so it takes a little bit longer for those bills
to actually hit us. So they're gonna hit us. They're
gonna hit us within that May April May period where
we won't feel them as much, but they'll still be
in there.
Speaker 7 (44:37):
Now.
Speaker 3 (44:38):
Electricity is gonna kick in now with air conditioners and
things in the summer, so you know, the prices are
going to be fully blown out. And I don't know
what citizens are going to do because even now, while
they're screening at the top of their lungs, the only
thing that the legislature and more Heally I will to
do is gave another way awight plan through a five
percent discount which got kicked backed now a ten percent
(45:01):
discount with National Grid attaching interest to you know, there's
discount plan which we're going to have to be back
in April for National Grid customers with interest, which I mean,
you can make the argument that's absolutely predatory. I mean,
the citizens are screaming up the top.
Speaker 4 (45:18):
Of the well.
Speaker 2 (45:20):
I want you to react to this, and then I'm
going to let you go. The DPU commissioners, who were
appointed by Governor Healey and Governor Baker, ordered the utilities,
not just ever Source in National Grid, but Unitil to
to basically, uh cut prices by five percent. That's what
(45:45):
our DPU commissioners did, cut prices by five percent. And
in the case of National Grid and ever Source, I
don't know about Unitil and some of the other smaller companies,
they said five percent, We're going to cut it by
ten percent. So you had the regulators who were so weak,
they're telling these companies cut it by five percent and
(46:09):
we'll be happy, and the and the companies are saying, no,
we'll give you a cut of ten percent. Now you're
right there. They're going to eventually get that money back.
But why would the DPU commissioners be so uh so
kind to the to the big companies. Why would they
not have said ten percent or more? That's what's crazy.
(46:32):
I was Governor Heally. I I was Governor Heally. Based
upon that, I would say, you have you're not functioning
in the interest of the consumers, and thank you for
your service, but I'm firing all three of you. I'm
going to point I'm going to point a new board.
That's what I would do.
Speaker 3 (46:50):
Well, if she wasn't complicit in, you know, this sort
of coordination, then she might do that. But unfortunately to
the commissioners were appointed by her, and we can see that,
you know, by the evidence, like you just mentioned that,
it doesn't seem like they're reacting properly in the fake
of public interest. And why that is, well, these relationships
have certainly been corrupted over the years, and they've gotten
(47:13):
too close to each other to the point that they're
now sleeping in the same bed and they're not protecting
the American people. And this is why I started the organization.
Like I mentioned, to the moaning against every source on
Facebook dot com because I want the people to know
that there are things that we can do. The DP
actually lists on their website their petitions that have a
source and a national good, and all the other gas
(47:33):
and electric companies filed before any of these rate hikes
are passed, and we actually had the legal right to
go on there file complaints style comments, and in a
perfect world where the system actually protects us, we're able
to block some of these rate hikes based on financial hardships.
Now I would imagine, all.
Speaker 2 (47:50):
Right, Elijah, I hate to do this to you, but
I'm waving this conversation. Guy who feels this deeply. I
appreciate your You're calling in and we will talk again.
Speaker 3 (48:02):
Okay, Hafick, thank you for much. Daniel, a great show.
We'll talk Tom.
Speaker 2 (48:06):
Thanks, Alasha, talk to you soon. Good night. All right,
when we come back, I want to talk about I'm
going to change topics and we're going to talk about
the price of eggs. They have gone up dramatically, and
today Donald Trump's secretary of Agriculture. Her name is Brooke Rollins.
She wrote a piece in the Wall Street Journal and
(48:29):
she's actually proposed some ideas as to what she can
do to help bring the price of eggs down. I
want to get your reaction to it. I'd love to
know what are you doing. I'll tell you this. I
was in a store yesterday, No, maybe I was in
a I was in a store yesterday, and I just
looked at some of the prices in the store. And
(48:51):
you know what we have to do. We have to
turn around his consumers and say, guess what, I'm not
buying those products anymore. There are items that I used
to buy. I'm talking about grocery items stores. Guess what,
I don't have to buy the same brands that I
used to buy. Uh. And if enough of us looked
(49:11):
at some of these companies who have jacked their prices up,
particularly in you know, cookie isle and stuff like that.
You go down those aisles, you know, it's tough when
you have kids. You have to buy the milk. And
there's certain products I think that we all need to buy,
things like orange juice and things like that that are
good for you, and fruits and vegetables. But uh, let's
(49:34):
let's ask consumers be a little smarter, and we're gonna
talk about that. We're gonna talk about the price of eggs,
and we're gonna keep going right after this break of
night Side
It's night time with Dan Ray. I'm telling you easy
Boston News Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
All right. During the break when many of you probably
figure I'm sitting here dreaming because I don't have a
big production staff with me. Matter of fact, I don't
have any production staff with me. Rob is back there,
but he's dealing with all sorts of issues during the break.
So let me thank Jack from Somerset for calling in.
(00:29):
Jack was absolutely right. And Tom and Lynn, if you're listening,
that Infinity car that you bought was somewhere in the
vicinity of thirty thousand dollars or thirty one thousand dollars.
That was the MSRP on the car. Okay, Now, after
six years, the value of the car is reduced to
(00:51):
ten percent, So ten percent of your thirty thousand dollars
car rounding the figure is three thousand dollars, and the
rate that is set by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on
that Infinity car is point zero two five. That means
(01:17):
that in the sixth year and all ensuing years, you
will pay point zero two five on a value of
approximately three thousand dollars. You told me you pay seventy
two dollars. The calculation that I have is you should
pay seventy five. So I suspect that they have the
(01:39):
right number. So that is why Tom, you were paying
seventy two dollars a year in that car, and that
figure will remain at seventy two dollars as an excise
tax for however long you get that car registered in Massachusetts.
That solves that problem. Thanks to Jack for helping us
out on that. But I've been able to reconfirm with him.
(02:00):
I reconfirm under Chapter sixty A, Section one. I think
Jack said it was chapter fifty five, but oh he
may have said sixty eight. But it's Chapter sixty eight,
section one. Okay. Now, I have scoured the internet trying
to find that I was wrong on what Debbie said,
(02:20):
and that Debbie said the legislature increase. She come up
with some incredible numbers, sixty four percent, Debbie. I can
find nothing on the internet, and I've done a pretty
thorough search. Whilch suggests that anything other any agency other
than the Department of Public Utilities actually raises, and as
(02:41):
I explained to you, the utility companies, the energy companies
file notices of increases or in some cases decreases, but
most often increases, and then there's hearings, and then the
Department of Public Utilities approves either the increases as requested
or recruits improved, or rejects them or improves a part
(03:03):
of them. That is why it was our politicians, in
my opinion, who in November were asleep at the switch. Now,
John Cesto in the Boston Globe wrote a piece that
I found which talked exactly about this. And again, part
of it then is created interplays with the with the weather.
(03:25):
If the weather had been relatively mild this winter, we
wouldn't have had those increases. So that's the I'm not
sure if actually I might have been mistaken whether it
was John or not, but there was an article. It
was mentioned that back in November the the increases occurred,
(03:46):
and that's that's the deal, simple as that. Am I
happy about it?
Speaker 3 (03:51):
No?
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Are you happy about it?
Speaker 4 (03:53):
No?
Speaker 2 (03:54):
But you got to get more people involved in the process.
And I think the governor was asleep at this switch.
Heir and I have you know, been fairly supportive of
the governor, but I think her people were asleep at
the switch, and someone should have said to her, you know,
those increases could come back to bite us if we
have a bad winter. Maybe they didn't think the winters
(04:14):
ever knew they would to get bad again. Maybe they
thought that, you know, the climate change stuff was really
true and that we were always going to have warmer
and warmer winters. Not so back to the call as
we go. Let me see, you're going to go to
Mike and Taunt and Mike you were first this hour
and nightside. We're continuing our conversation about the high cost
of energy this winter in Massachusetts.
Speaker 5 (04:35):
Go ahead, Mike, good evening, sir, Thank you very much
for taking a call.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
I'll be quick.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Sure, Well, thank you for calling. I appreciate it. Go
right ahead.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
All right, it's not my first time we talked before.
Speaker 5 (04:48):
That's talking about a resource. I got a bill, but
usage was one hundred and eighty three dollars. That's how
much I use for that billing period. However, delivery and
service charge the total bill was going to be eight
hundred dollars. That's pretty steep for me.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Yeah, that's a big build. There's a big bill. Let
me tell you.
Speaker 6 (05:15):
Yeah, Okay, I own a home.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
My wife and I and my daughter. We own a
home here. It's a four bedroom home. And gassy and wow,
I follow this website.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
If I'm permitted to say, it's citizens against Citizens against
ever source.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Yep, I'm familiar with the group. That's a relatively recent
group that has organized. Yep.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
Correct, And.
Speaker 5 (05:48):
You know, some of the things that I've read in it.
I don't believe everything I read, but some of the
things on it, like the CEO of a company I
just mentioned is making like eighteen million dollars per year.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
It must be nice to move up the ranks. But
holy smokes.
Speaker 5 (06:10):
Okay, so for him and the shareholders, for hiving the shareholders,
I guess that's what they do. But I also understand
that if your property tax goes up, it may have
something to do to impact that billing.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
And you know, for for the utilities and stuff.
Speaker 5 (06:30):
A lot of us here in town are on six incomes.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
We're retired, are retired from the state.
Speaker 5 (06:38):
You know, we're on fixed income and and whatnot. It's
got to be quite stressful on them.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
And so I don't completely agree with you. Here's my
question to you. Okay, yes, yes, people who are heads
of big companies tend to earn what you and I
would see as huge salaries. I have no disagreement with
your characterization of that. But people uh, in certain positions,
(07:13):
uh you know who are who are part of companies
that earn a lot of money, they tend to make
big salaries. We all, we all, we all understand that.
I don't know anyone who's going to say, well, I'm
going to cut my salary in half. Here's my question
to you. These rates are not imposed by these energy companies.
(07:39):
They're approved by the Department of Public Utilities in Massachusets.
Speaker 4 (07:46):
I have called them, I have called them, and I have.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
That's not my question, that's not That's not where I'm
going in this way. Might bear with me for sorry. Okay,
So these public utilities, the committ the members of the
the Board of Public Utilities, they're appointed by the politicians.
They're not appointed by the electric companies. They're appointed by
the politicians. When these rates were approved in November November Forest,
(08:14):
someone at the governor's office should have said to the governor,
you know, governor, let's hope we don't have a cold winter,
because if we do, energy prices in Massachusetts are going
to skyrocket. So the politicians are supposed to kind of
keep an eye. They're supposed to work in our interest,
(08:34):
and prices go up, it costs more. When the demand
goes up, it costs more. What I'm trying to say is,
if you want to channel your frustration, I wouldn't worry
about the fact that some head of one of these
big companies is making eighteen million or whatever they're making.
I would concern about where are the politicians. We live
(08:57):
in a one party state. Do you think there was
one politician who who maybe there's one or two that
we could find that issued a press release that said
these these increases are not reasonable. You know, this is
this is reaction. This is like. This is like, for example,
if you're a Red Sox fan and you bought season
(09:19):
tickets and you went to every game, and on September first,
you say, this team stinks. This is a horrible team.
They're in last place. I paid good money for my
seats and every time they come to the game they lose.
It's a little late. The time to talk about the
team not being good is early in the season. Get
some better players, get some better get some better politicians.
Speaker 5 (09:44):
Mike Sake sandwiches outside of Fenway a great though.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Yeah, how much they cost?
Speaker 5 (09:53):
Oh boy, I don't know. I haven't been there quite
a while. My dad and I used to go.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Yeah, my d jeez, take sandwiches, so you they were
great sandwiches. But he probably was empty as well. I'm
only teasing your mic. All I'm just saying is that
it's the people who are supposed to put the Red
Sox together, or the Bruins, or the Celtics or the Patriots.
If they don't do a good job, they get canned.
(10:22):
We don't can any of our politicians. We keep electing
the politicians in Massachusetts all the time. I mean.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
To do that.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Do you remember Kaien Bloom? Do you remember the names
the name of the Patriot coach after Belichick who was
fired the day after the seasons?
Speaker 7 (10:42):
Oh my god?
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Yeah, one year. That's it. So you know they they
all I'm just saying, is that blame the politicians and
blame the fact that we all go to the polls
and we vote for the same people every time. Well,
I know him, represent ended up so and so he's
a great guy. I saw him at the diner last
summer and he said to me, Hey, buddy, how are
(11:07):
you great to see you. How's it going? We're idiots.
Speaker 5 (11:13):
I hear you.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
We're we're Mike. We got and we also got to
look in the mirror and blame ourselves. You know, keep voting,
keep voting the same people in you think you're gonna
get different.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
Meetings.
Speaker 5 (11:27):
I've been follow I've been following yourself, Glenn Beck, John Hannity,
all those guys there, And you know.
Speaker 8 (11:38):
All I canna say is right now.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Thank god, I hear you.
Speaker 6 (11:44):
I hear you were here in Massachusetts.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Say no more.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
You know, yeah, I won't.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
We We had a president. We had a president for
four years who didn't have a clue.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
Oh this is too busy.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Ice cream his favorite. His favorite, I think was chocolate chip.
If I'm not mistaken. Yeah, yeah, Hey, Mike, you're a
good sport. Hang in your palace. Okay.
Speaker 4 (12:12):
I hope a little bit, Yeah I had.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
I hope. I've had a little bit of fun with you.
But I'm also I'm deadly serious. Keep keep electing the guy.
I'm not talking to you, but I'm talking to the
people out there who are who are who are listening.
You know, when you go to the polls and you
vote for the same guy or gal every time because
they saw you at the diner, or they saw you
at the stopping shop supermarket and they said hi to you. Yeah, hey, great.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
To see you.
Speaker 8 (12:42):
How are ye?
Speaker 2 (12:45):
That's that's the game in Massachusetts. They see you at
the super how's a what? How's the missus and the kids?
You know, And all of a sudden you go home
that night and you say to your wife, you know
who I met today? I met? Is that at a
Kroma four? What a great guy he said hello to me.
(13:05):
I gotta remember to vote for him Massachusetts.
Speaker 5 (13:10):
Oh that's what happens. Unfortunately, have a good one, okay,
all right, follow the money, follow the money.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
You got it? All right? Uh, I'm having fun with this.
But other than that would be crazy. If you agree
with me, great, If you don't tell me, tell me
where I'm wrong, Tell me where I'm wrong. We take
a break six one seven one, line six one seven
two five four ten thirty one line six one seven
nine three one ten thirty. We're gonna get to the
price of eggs in a few minutes, so trust me.
(13:39):
That's the theme tonight where we have we're paying too much. Okay,
they're picking our pockets. Remember in Massachusetts. Say it with me.
The only two things that are taxed are everything that
moves and everything that doesn't move. We're back on Night's
side after this.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
Night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
All right, let's go next to Stephen Norfolk. Want to
move people here a little bit more quickly. Steve, thank
you very much for your next one Night Side.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
Hi. Hi Dan.
Speaker 6 (14:16):
So uh, well, there's there's I have three different properties
that I was going to talk about when you were
talking about winterization. But I also was at my mom's
and she's in her nineties, and I looked at the
utility bill and they wanted to change the meter. And
(14:37):
they say her her efficient see is very low compared
to her surrounding neighbors. Yet there's a disclaimer that, like,
we no longer read your meters. So how do they
come to that conclusion?
Speaker 2 (14:52):
I have no idea.
Speaker 6 (14:53):
I mean, you know, I have.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Your bill sometimes says actual read and then sometimes it
says estimate.
Speaker 6 (15:07):
Right, so and and and and for some reason they
want to change the meter. And I don't know what
the deal is with that. I just saw this.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
I'll give you any let me tell you I think
I can answer you that question, okay, if I can
help you here. Under Massachusetts law, gas companies are required
to change your gas meter. Is your mom got gas
or electricity or both?
Speaker 6 (15:39):
She has natural gas?
Speaker 2 (15:41):
I believe, Okay, Well, the reason I know that is
I had my gas meter changed in my house last week.
I got a call from the National National Grid and
they said, you know, Massachusetts law requires that your your
meter be changed every seven years. So the crew came
out last Friday and changed the meat here. I guess
(16:02):
those meters at some point lose their efficiency or their
efficacy and that's so that's all I know about that.
Speaker 6 (16:09):
But that's so, that's that's fine and normal like fixed bat.
But it's weird how they say, compare to your neighbors,
you're doing very poorly, and well they could be.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
What they're probably talking about, to be really honest with you,
is the amount of heat that your mom is using. Okay,
and look right, when when folks are older, they tend
to use more heat. I can tell you that that
that you that's just really you know, and they don't
take that calculation and consideration. So if your mom is
(16:42):
is living alone in her nineties in a house. I
don't know how well isolated.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
The house is, right, No, it's a big house.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Well it's it's.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Yeah, you know, so that's probably yeah, it's probably. She's Now,
if there's a house down the street where there's a mom,
a dad and five kids and a dog, just the
heat that the activity in that house is going to generate,
is they're going to probably you know, be a little
more efficient than your mom because your mom's living alone.
So that's a factory, right right.
Speaker 6 (17:14):
And I also I also have a place on the cape,
and I got the same thing, like, oh, you did
really poorly this year, And I'm like, I don't know
why because it's last year, and they were comparing it
to last winter. That's what their basis was, and the
last winter it was mild, very mild.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Yeah. I get a lot of that too, you know
that you I don't know how they did. I think
a lot of that. They tell people they're not doing
well because they want you to turn the energy down.
Speaker 6 (17:44):
I think I have a customer that I worked for
and when her husband died, she had a very large
home in Westwood with five bedrooms. All the kids moved out.
Her husband died and she was just using one part
of the house, yep. And she got a letter saying
you're doing terrible and she goes, don't even use the
whole house. I just use this one section.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
And uh I think to some extent they kind of
make it up. And if you are at a large,
larger house, it's it's going to be caught. It's going
to cost more so, right.
Speaker 6 (18:14):
And so the other thing about the winterization thing, if
you want to hear about that, that was like three
years ago. I had them come out because my furnace
went where I live now in Northwark, so I have
no heat and I have a wood stove and uh
so I got an estimate for doing that and they
came out and I'm like, well do you want to
switch over to uh solar? And you know, so they
(18:37):
did a drone thing all versus is I don't know
if I should say the company online, I'm on your phone,
on on the radio or not.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
So they were trying to sell you.
Speaker 6 (18:46):
So they came out and they did. They seem professional
they can in the attic and and you know one
company wanted to like so in the name of nature,
they said, we get to cut down all these trees.
I'm like, yeah, I forget about it. Yeah, and I'm
like seriously. And then so the next one, I.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Get this stuff all the time in the mail, if
you want to switch to more efficient clean energy, Well,
I can tell you that the clean energy they're going
to rely upon solar and wind, it's always going to
cost you more. And they never make it very clear.
But you feel better. You feel, oh God, I'm using
(19:23):
clean energy, and all of a sudden you look at
your bill and it's twenty percent higher. And then you
call them and you say, well, why can you tell me? Well,
we figured you knew. I mean, when you get this
thing in the mail that says, if you'd like to
switch to clean energy, you'll feel very much better about yourself.
Speaker 4 (19:39):
Until you right.
Speaker 6 (19:40):
And I have the customers the same thing, and they
like they had that. They had one that went bankrupt
and they said they didn't have they put up the
panels and they ran out of money. And so in
my story what happened was I was going to have
it done and then so they said, well you get
to do the roof, and I'm like, well, oh, we'll
(20:01):
do half the roof for three thousand. I'm like well,
what's the point and half the roof, hop out the
whole roofs and they said, okay, we'll do the whole roof,
and then they gave me a price. It was just
like that sounds too good to be true kind of thing.
And I talked to a reeler and she says, don't
do it because they own that space over your house.
(20:22):
If you want to sell your house, you have to
buy them out and or remove the panels, and I'll
cost you like fifty sixty thousand dollars or something like that.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Well that's a good heads up. Hey, I'm up on
my break, Steep. Thank you for colling. Please call again.
You had a lot of information. We took a little
agga of time, but it was well worth it, Thank
you much. The only line opened six one seven nine
three one ten thirty. Both lines are there six one
seven nine three one ten thirty. We will go with
this until eleven. After eleven, we're going to go to
the price of eggs. And so you want to get
(20:53):
in get in now. Six one seven nine three one
ten thirty on your home energy costs in Massachusetts.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
I'm looking at a piece from two years ago. In
response to projections about higher energy costs than Massachusetts, several
state lawmakers have sent a few letters to the Department
of Public Utilities asking them to reassess how the utility
rates are set in the state January twenty twenty three.
(21:30):
How did that work out? Guys? The fact in the
matter is the system is broken here in Massachusetts. State
Representative John Barrett, Democratic Berkshire said, another guy from Berkshire,
if there's a way to lower these rates in a
very timely manner, I think it's important that it gets done.
State Senator Paul Mark, Democrat Berkshire said, Well, that was
(21:53):
January twelfth, twenty and twenty three. Nothing has changed. Let's
keep rolling here. I'm apologizing. I'm I've given called us
a little extra time, Rick in reading you and next
on nights, I Rick, appreciate your patience. I apologize.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
Hey, Hey, Dan high.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
Good sir, cool.
Speaker 9 (22:13):
I'm gonna sip it quick because I'm about to go
to bed. I just have a couple of questions that
I think maybe a question a lot of people are having.
So typically in private sector, if you're heading a department,
most likely you're going to be working in day to
day operation of that department for for quite a bit.
(22:33):
For example, the senior of Costco he got started as
a foot cliff driver in the warehouse, and the serial
of the nankey get started as a retail associate. The
But I was actually looking at profile of the GPU chair. Uh,
he was a lawyer, and before that he was he
(22:55):
was working in academia. We have two commissioners who are
both working.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
A lawyer for their entire career.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
Yeh.
Speaker 9 (23:03):
I was thinking, if you were having this very specific
functional department, why are we appointed or now we But
why was Governor Healing appointing lawyers attorneys to be the
head of a departiament and making this position of the
rating and great approval. This is just something I really
(23:25):
don't understand.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Well, I think I can explain it to you. I
am am looking at this right now even as we speak.
Politicians make appointments of people who have two qualifications. One
the politician knows the person who's being appointed, and two,
(23:49):
the person who is being appointed probably supported the politician,
either financially or in some other fashion during their campaigns, so.
Speaker 9 (24:01):
It doesn't matter if they actually working the fields or not.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
Well, I think the point you're making is a really
good one, okay, and I'm not dismissing or diminishing it
at all. But the reality is that in Massachusetts, you know,
I hate that. I don't want to be really as
cynical as I'd like to be, you know, to be
(24:29):
honest with you, but politicians tend to appoint I am
on the Department of Public Utility site right now, okay,
And I got to be honest with you. I'm having
a tough time even finding who the the members of
(24:52):
the commission are. To be honest with.
Speaker 9 (24:55):
You, change no brand as what h I think his
name is? The nameless here is mister James nos Grands.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Yeah, I don't know him. I'm just looking. Uh, let
me see if if I can google this and again.
Speaker 9 (25:14):
Yeah, you're gonna You're gonna go through a couple of
pages to find there to find their names.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Yeah, okay, let me just real quick quickly here members
of Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities. Uh. You know again,
what happens is that it's it's not someone who's who
you know. I mean, it's the same way when they
appoint judges. They they tend to appoint people who they
(25:41):
know and who they trust, and who who sees the
world as they do. You know, I'm I'm looking at
right here at the Department of Public is a three
member Yeah, I got it. Here. The chair is James
vin Nostrom. Let's see if I got anything on him.
(26:03):
Here spent three years as a members of adjunct faculty
at the Pace University School of Law in White Plains,
New York. He was recognized by the Energy Bar Association
in the two thousand and seven State Regulatory Practitioner of
the Year. He received his LLM in Environmental Law at.
Speaker 6 (26:30):
Pace University and hes.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Jd from the Iowa College of Law, and his master's
degree from Sunny at Albany and an undergraduate degree in
economics from the University of Northern Iowa. So this is
a guy who doesn't have much of a connection with Massachusetts.
Let's look at the next person on this group. Commissioner
(26:58):
Cecil Fraser es now the lawyer. As counsel with the Department,
she's worked on issues involving New England's wholesale electric markets.
She received her Bachelors of Arts degree in polside from
Fordham University and her j d. From Rutgers University in Camden, Okay.
Then we have a woman named Stacy Rubin. She has
(27:23):
her Masters of Public Health from Tufts, Masters of Environmental
Law from Vermont Law School, and an undergraduate degree from
New York University Law School. So we have three people
who pretty much were educated outside of Massachusetts who are
running the Department of Public Utilities. I don't know. Yeah,
(27:45):
that's interesting.
Speaker 9 (27:47):
Yeah, and also they it doesn't seem doesn't seem to
me that any of them actually has done one day
of work related to public utility. Oh well, I mean yeah,
I believe one of them has been a facilitating certain
public utility law or whatever, but none of the operation.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
Yeah, I think that it would be good to have,
you know, a group of people who are more connected
to Massachusetts.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
Now.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
I don't know how I got, to be honest with you,
this is sort of I don't know how long they're
appointed for. I don't know how much money they make.
I suspect they probably get, you know, pretty good salary,
to be honest with you, and I think it's I
think they've got to be politically connected because they're appointed
(28:42):
I believe by the governor, not necessarily by this governor.
She probably has only appointed one of them, and it
could be that they each get a term of a
few years. But it's three people. James then Nostrend from Iowa,
Cecil Fraser from looks like New York and New Jersey,
and the last lady Stacey Rubin, who seems to be
(29:05):
from She she did earn a law degree at Northeastern University,
which is good, and also a degree from Tuft's University
School of Medicine, a public health degree. But and and
and and Vermont. So you've made some points. You've made
some points right now. Everybody now knows their names. Rick.
(29:28):
I hate to do this to you, man, but but
I got others I got to get to before this
hour is up.
Speaker 9 (29:33):
Okay, all right, all right, that's fine, all right, Rick, you.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Made some great points here. I was stunned that there's
there's such very slight connections to Massachusetts on the DPU.
I don't get it. I really don't.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
All right, I'll later thank you.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Rick, appreciate it. Pretty good. Call six one seven two
four ten thirty six one seven nine three ten thirty.
I got Frank in Boston and Mike and Beverly, I
got for you, and I plan to switch to the
topic of the price of eggs at eleven o'clock. We
can continue this a little into the eleven o'clock news
if you want to call in right now, coming back
(30:10):
on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
Now, back to Dan ray Line from the Window World
night Side Studios on w b Z, the news Radio.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
The Chair of the Deep in Massachusetts was appointed on
March fifteenth for turn beginning May first, twenty twenty three.
He was appointed by Governor Healey. He's the author of
the Cold Trap, how West Virginia was left behind in
the clean energy revolution. He's obviously a clean energy guy.
Cecil Fraser was appointed by Charlie Baker in June of
(30:42):
twenty seventeen, the latest appointment by Governor Healey. Stacy Rubin
was appointed in April of twenty twenty three, little less
than two years ago. She was Vice president Environmental Justice
at the Conservation Law Foundation. I kind of know where
(31:02):
she's coming from politically. With that's all I need to know.
Let me go next to Frank and Boston. Frank, I
apologize for holding you on so long your next year.
Speaker 10 (31:10):
Sure there is a problem to stretch out payments on
the gas bills.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Yeah, they're saying that that, well, they're gonna you can
do that. You can average them out over the over
the year, so you you pay a little less in
the winter and more in the summer, but at the
end of the day, you still pay the total bill.
And they're also supposedly going to cut rates both for
National Grid and ever Source about ten percent. That's being done.
(31:40):
The commission, which is supposed to be in the ister
of the people, they ordered uh, National Grid and and
ever Source to cut their rates in the next couple
of months by five percent, and National Grid and Eversor
said we'll cut it by ten percent. So we obviously
have a very weak DPU Commission here in Massachusetts, and
(32:02):
Governor Healy should fire the three of them at this point.
If if the companies are willing to cut their rate
ten percent and these people are only willing to tell
them to cut their rate five percent, how nuts is that?
Speaker 10 (32:16):
We don't need Governor Healing. How about the commission or
not the commission, but the part of the legislature that
oversees these departments, Well, the people should be calling these legislatures.
And and then another thing too is like we can
cut our gas usage by you know, going to like
I think they call them convection ranges and also don't
(32:39):
use gas, use electricity and more economical.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
How many people? How much does the convection range cost, Frank,
I'm not familiar with that.
Speaker 10 (32:49):
I'm not sure, but I don't think it's that expensive.
Speaker 4 (32:51):
It's only a think.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
I think. I think they're quite and they're quite expensive,
and a lot of people probably are happy. That's when
we get into the question of you know, we've got
cleaner energy. Cleaner energy is a little more expensive. I mean,
the commission on this uh this uh DPU.
Speaker 10 (33:07):
And it's more controllable. It's more of us controlling it
and then instead of them controlling us. That's that's the
point of the game.
Speaker 7 (33:16):
Well maybe maybe you.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
Say, maybe you'll save ten maybe you'll save ten dollars
a month on your bill, but it will cost you
three thousand dollars to get it, to get the new
new range. That's you gotta look at the number.
Speaker 10 (33:27):
Week.
Speaker 2 (33:28):
I don't have the numbers in front of me, Frank,
And so I don't want to ask. I don't want
to advise anybody to spend a lot of money unless
I know that they're gonna they're going to recapture that
money on the other.
Speaker 10 (33:39):
End, But we get these things that tell us you're
using more gas in your neighbor. That means that we
need to or re examine our.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
Our our.
Speaker 10 (33:56):
Building's efficiency and so we can do something for ourselves.
Speaker 8 (34:02):
And now go ahead, I mean, Frank.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
I would suggest, and when do you buy? When are
you going to buy a convection of him?
Speaker 10 (34:10):
Yes, sir, okay's supposed to be even healthier.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
Are you gonna buy one?
Speaker 10 (34:14):
I supposed to be poisoning us?
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Are you gonna buy one? Frank? Frank, I got a
simple question. Try to stick with me for a second.
When are you buying.
Speaker 10 (34:23):
It in the next few months?
Speaker 2 (34:26):
Do me a favor. When you buy it, will you
call me back and let me know how much it
costs and then how much it saves in the bill.
I'd appreciate that.
Speaker 10 (34:32):
Okay, I'm surprised that you don't have one. I mean,
you're seem to be a guy who would be somebody
who would be into new technology.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
No, I'm I'm kind of a traditional guy. I like
to find stuff that works, and when people come out
with new stuff, I just want to make sure it works.
I'm one of those guys who probably uh you know,
looks before. I'm kind of a look before I leap guy, Frank.
To be honest with you, Frank, I got a couple
more I gotta sneak in. I'm gonna talk to you soon,
but call me back. You know how much how that
Evan works? Okay, thanks, thank you much. Let me go
(35:04):
next to get Mike and Beverly and Mike, you're quick,
and then I'm gonna get there.
Speaker 8 (35:07):
Well, go ahead, Mike, Hey, Dan, how are previous carler?
Let me let me know how that works over you
by that stove.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
I'm with you, That's what I was asking, Mike. I
hear you.
Speaker 8 (35:20):
But anyway, as far as this whole DPU thing goes,
you know, I mean like they're out of their mind
about the situation one. I saw a story about this
the other day, and it has to deal with the
delivery fee. Is the fee that chiding you to pay
for the mass stave program that everyone else getting that
(35:41):
free insulation and all that sort of stuff going on.
So we're paying for other people's stuff. That's how that's
going on. That's situasion.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Well well that may be true, but at the same time,
have you taken advantage of that program?
Speaker 3 (35:54):
No?
Speaker 4 (35:55):
Way?
Speaker 8 (35:56):
Okay, Well I can't afford the house, then that's why.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
Oh well if you don't have a house, that makes
no Do you rent? Is that what you rent?
Speaker 3 (36:04):
Yeah? I rent?
Speaker 4 (36:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (36:05):
Yeah? Okay? Uh and do you on your rent? Does
your rent cover the gas and electric or do you
pay a renting in the gas and electric separate?
Speaker 9 (36:13):
No, it's part of event.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
Yeah, okay, how much you how much you're renting up
in Beverly? How expensive it is to rent a nice
place in Beverly.
Speaker 8 (36:23):
I'm paying fifteen hundred for a room, then.
Speaker 2 (36:26):
Fifteen hundred just for one room. That's a lot.
Speaker 8 (36:28):
Yeah, all right, yeah, no kidding.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
I'm with you. I'm on your side, Mike. I hope
you know that. But that was a comment that was
empathetic and sympathetic to you. That's a lot of money
for a single room.
Speaker 3 (36:42):
Tell me about it.
Speaker 8 (36:42):
Yeah, I mean she said the one out by a recause.
It's not at below market rate, it's market rate. Yeah,
I mean you know, yeah, it's it's it's retarded. Yeah,
And then you know, Mari heal, I don't understand the
soldiers rage or she's out of her mind, you know,
or the how affordable housing she wants to build affordable
houses and goes who can afford affordable housing? It's ten
(37:06):
grand to get it, to get a kid to move in,
you know, for us last charity seven behind the credits.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
Hey, Mike, I want to get in there and get
on this show. Okay, thanks have me going fighting for you.
Thanks Mike, appreciate it. Let me go next to Daryl.
Get rid of some of these DPU commissioners. Get get
some new people in there who at least have some
connection in Massachusetts. Daryl, you're next on night Side, Daryl.
Go ahead.
Speaker 7 (37:30):
Hey Dan, you're talking about power meters and whatnot, and
uh but yeah, the new power meters. They're trying to
push them on because they're called smart meters, yep. And
what they do is they can actually control it from
one central location as opposed to even the ones people
have where they just drive by, and they can actually
get the power reading. And but if you look at it,
(37:54):
when they actually get all this, I'm not doing a
conspiracy thing, don't get me wrong.
Speaker 4 (37:58):
It's a but with all.
Speaker 7 (38:00):
The continued power emphasis then you actually have to. It
costs more to get new power boxes in and power masts,
and if you have a house, that's probably about minimum
ten thousand dollars for a new installation, right, money, a
lot of money. But going back to the ranges and
all the electric stoves, yep, have the old grill type
(38:24):
and or the gas stove because those are the best
for cooking eggs.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
That's well, no, that's a nice segue because next hour
we're going to talk about the price of eggs. Darryl,
thank you much. That's a perfect segue to the next hour.
Thanks Darryl. Talk soon. Here comes the eleven o'clock news,
and right after the news, we will talk about cooking
eggs and the price of eggs back on night Side
after this.
Speaker 5 (38:47):
It's nice side.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
Umbelling easy Boston's news Radio.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
Now we are going to talk about the price of
eggs in this hour. But I got one caller who
I want to give an opportunity to talk about high
energy prices. Elijah, who's in New Bedford. Elijah, you are
next on Nightside. I'll let you in here and you
can talk about either energy or eggs or both, whatever
you'd like. Go right ahead, My friend.
Speaker 3 (39:16):
As long as he keeps going up, I think I'm
gonna have to lay an egg.
Speaker 2 (39:19):
Yeah, maybe we'll all have to try to figure that out.
Speaker 3 (39:24):
No. Absolutely, And so my name is Elijah and I
represent it Isness against Egosaurs. It's the group started to
try to, you know, get organized and get situated with
what's going on with the prices of energy. We grew
from you know, zero to twenty six thousand members now
in about twenty three days. And that just you know,
demonstrates the level of anxiety and frustration and fear and
(39:48):
desperation that the people have. And that's fully representative in
the rapid growth that we've been experiencing.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
Yeah, you know, we've talked about this. I don't know
if you listen to some of the callers in the
last couple of hour. The governor made a speech today
that the Chamber of Commerce he was going to file legislation.
My question is, and if you've been listening, you've heard
me ask the question, and that is, why are the
politicians asleep at the switch? Have you looked at the
(40:16):
three members of the DPU Department of Public Utilities. They're
the ones that raised these rates in November and I
don't recall any outcry from the politicians who are up
at Beacon Hill is supposed to look after our interest
as citizens and as taxpayers and his right payers.
Speaker 3 (40:35):
Well here is a thing. You know, they're going to
do their song and dance and their political shuffle on
to pretend like they truly care. But the reality is
is that after that rate hike, one of the biggest
rate heights in Massachusetts issue was passed on November first,
politicians went ahead and passed as twenty nine sixty seven,
which is another bill associated with energy, which is loaded
(40:59):
and loaded with infrastructure hikes, and that was passed on
November fourteenth, fourteen days after that you know, initial big
rate hike, and then we got another way.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
I always say, what did what did that bill reportedly
accomplish it? What was the purpose of that bill? If
you're going to if you.
Speaker 3 (41:16):
Know so, the crux of that bill as it's word,
as it's named, is basically about infra infrastructure for you know,
the Clean Energy Initiative and consumer protections. But as it
happens within the legislative branch, we know that certain things
get gutted, you know, so they can actually be approved.
There was two predecessors to this bill, but in this
(41:36):
final version they kept the name with the final tagline
that you know in consumer protection laws, but they gutted
all those consumer protection laws before this bill actually got
signed and enacted and more really did sign it on
November twenty first. So either they're ignorant of the bills
that they're signing, or they're complacent in their evaluation of
(41:57):
the bills that they're signing. So either way, you're.
Speaker 2 (41:59):
Dont a lot of Elijah. I don't think they're ignorant.
I think they know exactly what they're doing because this
is their job. It's their full time job. You know,
in a lot of other states around the country, politicians
in New Hampshire, for example, the legislature they're paid each
they have four hundred members of their legislature out there.
(42:21):
It's a joint legislature and they get like one hundred
dollars a year. That's their salary. It's a stipend. Oh wow, yeah,
that's it. That's it. And the idea is you serve
a couple of terms in the legislature and you're able
to say you're a former you know, state representative or
all of that. But down here, most of the politicians
(42:41):
are making well into the six figures and they it's
their full time job and they're supposed to look out
for this stuff. And I didn't hear any hue and
cry from the legislature. Now maybe they thought, well, it
doesn't matter. We've had mile winters around here. But guess what,
sometimes we have a cold and we're having one right now.
(43:02):
And who's paying the price. Not the legislators because they
get reelected all the time. It's people like us who,
you know, hope that there's someone up there paying attention.
You know, where is where is the Governor's secretary of
(43:23):
Energy on this? The governor today gave this speech at
the Chamber of Commerce and she she was very short
on specifics as to what she's going to do, and
there was no forethought. And it's like, you know, she'll
file some legislation which we'll say, let's give some coupons
to people or whatever. But it's really frustrating. It's really
(43:43):
frustrating both as as somebody who watches the legislature. It's
frustrating to me, and I'm sure it's frustrating to you.
You're you're just getting involved in the political process. You've got,
you know, quite a group of people that are with you.
I hope you can keep together and and and become activists.
Speaker 3 (44:03):
Well, I mean, let's break it down from the beginning, right,
I mean, they passed this law and then, like I said,
two weeks later, they ended up signing another law, which
is that s twenty nine to sixty seven, which those
rate heights we yet to feel, and we will feel
them in April May around the apel May because it
takes about ninety days after a bill is initiated, and
for this specific dolar bill that has a bunch of infrastructure,
(44:25):
you know, they are permits that need to be found,
so it takes a little bit longer for those bills
to actually hit us. So they're gonna hit us. They're
gonna hit us within that May April May period where
we won't feel them as much, but they'll still be
in there.
Speaker 7 (44:37):
Now.
Speaker 3 (44:38):
Electricity is gonna kick in now with air conditioners and
things in the summer, so you know, the prices are
going to be fully blown out. And I don't know
what citizens are going to do because even now, while
they're screening at the top of their lungs, the only
thing that the legislature and more Heally I will to
do is gave another way awight plan through a five
percent discount which got kicked backed now a ten percent
(45:01):
discount with National Grid attaching interest to you know, there's
discount plan which we're going to have to be back
in April for National Grid customers with interest, which I mean,
you can make the argument that's absolutely predatory. I mean,
the citizens are screaming up the top.
Speaker 4 (45:18):
Of the well.
Speaker 2 (45:20):
I want you to react to this, and then I'm
going to let you go. The DPU commissioners, who were
appointed by Governor Healey and Governor Baker, ordered the utilities,
not just ever Source in National Grid, but Unitil to
to basically, uh cut prices by five percent. That's what
(45:45):
our DPU commissioners did, cut prices by five percent. And
in the case of National Grid and ever Source, I
don't know about Unitil and some of the other smaller companies,
they said five percent, We're going to cut it by
ten percent. So you had the regulators who were so weak,
they're telling these companies cut it by five percent and
(46:09):
we'll be happy, and the and the companies are saying, no,
we'll give you a cut of ten percent. Now you're
right there. They're going to eventually get that money back.
But why would the DPU commissioners be so uh so
kind to the to the big companies. Why would they
not have said ten percent or more? That's what's crazy.
(46:32):
I was Governor Heally. I I was Governor Heally. Based
upon that, I would say, you have you're not functioning
in the interest of the consumers, and thank you for
your service, but I'm firing all three of you. I'm
going to point I'm going to point a new board.
That's what I would do.
Speaker 3 (46:50):
Well, if she wasn't complicit in, you know, this sort
of coordination, then she might do that. But unfortunately to
the commissioners were appointed by her, and we can see that,
you know, by the evidence, like you just mentioned that,
it doesn't seem like they're reacting properly in the fake
of public interest. And why that is, well, these relationships
have certainly been corrupted over the years, and they've gotten
(47:13):
too close to each other to the point that they're
now sleeping in the same bed and they're not protecting
the American people. And this is why I started the organization.
Like I mentioned, to the moaning against every source on
Facebook dot com because I want the people to know
that there are things that we can do. The DP
actually lists on their website their petitions that have a
source and a national good, and all the other gas
(47:33):
and electric companies filed before any of these rate hikes
are passed, and we actually had the legal right to
go on there file complaints style comments, and in a
perfect world where the system actually protects us, we're able
to block some of these rate hikes based on financial hardships.
Now I would imagine, all.
Speaker 2 (47:50):
Right, Elijah, I hate to do this to you, but
I'm waving this conversation. Guy who feels this deeply. I
appreciate your You're calling in and we will talk again.
Speaker 3 (48:02):
Okay, Hafick, thank you for much. Daniel, a great show.
We'll talk Tom.
Speaker 2 (48:06):
Thanks, Alasha, talk to you soon. Good night. All right,
when we come back, I want to talk about I'm
going to change topics and we're going to talk about
the price of eggs. They have gone up dramatically, and
today Donald Trump's secretary of Agriculture. Her name is Brooke Rollins.
She wrote a piece in the Wall Street Journal and
(48:29):
she's actually proposed some ideas as to what she can
do to help bring the price of eggs down. I
want to get your reaction to it. I'd love to
know what are you doing. I'll tell you this. I
was in a store yesterday, No, maybe I was in
a I was in a store yesterday, and I just
looked at some of the prices in the store. And
(48:51):
you know what we have to do. We have to
turn around his consumers and say, guess what, I'm not
buying those products anymore. There are items that I used
to buy. I'm talking about grocery items stores. Guess what,
I don't have to buy the same brands that I
used to buy. Uh. And if enough of us looked
(49:11):
at some of these companies who have jacked their prices up,
particularly in you know, cookie isle and stuff like that.
You go down those aisles, you know, it's tough when
you have kids. You have to buy the milk. And
there's certain products I think that we all need to buy,
things like orange juice and things like that that are
good for you, and fruits and vegetables. But uh, let's
(49:34):
let's ask consumers be a little smarter, and we're gonna
talk about that. We're gonna talk about the price of eggs,
and we're gonna keep going right after this break of
night Side
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