Opinion letter: With proposed utility bill increase, families are being pushed to the breaking point

This is an opinion letter that was submitted to Fall River Reporter (not written by us) in response to Liberty Utilities asking the state for approval to raise its natural gas rates for residents of Fall River and North Attleboro.

A public meeting will be held to gather input:
Date: Thursday, October 3
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Durfee High School
360 Elsbree Street, Fall River, MA 02720

We, the citizens, are fed up. Our utility bills are skyrocketing while wages and social security checks remain stagnant. Families are being pushed to the breaking point, forced to choose between heat, food, and shelter.

Residents report gas and electric bills reaching $600 or more in the winter, even as companies threaten shut-offs with little to no notice. Programs like LIHEAP, which are supposed to protect the most vulnerable, are unreliable—petitions don’t function properly, reapplications are required every three months, and leftover funds are clawed back instead of being applied to help people in need.

Meanwhile, gas leaks go unfixed for years, and when citizens ask why, they’re told there are “too many leaks to keep track of.” This is not only negligent—it’s dangerous.

And where is our leadership? Governor Maura Healey is quick to approve rate hikes while families suffer. Citizens are calling it what it is: empty promises and failed leadership. Massachusetts is branded as “the best state to live in and raise a family,” but for working families staring at $600 utility bills, skyrocketing rents, and pantry lines that triple, it feels like a lie.

All our governor has to do is open the natural gas pipelines to ease energy prices. Instead, local and state politicians shut down power plants, killed the LNG project, and now stand silent while delivery charges—not fuel costs—crush households. Citizens know who to thank for this mess: politicians like Healey and Fiola who have paved the way for these utility companies to profit at our expense.

Our community sees what’s happening:
• Utility rates jump 30%+ while support programs shrink.
• Working families must apply for aid just to survive.
• Parents are forced into multiple jobs, never seeing their children.
• Pantry lines and school supply drives are overflowing.
• Politicians approve hikes and block solutions while families freeze.

This isn’t living—it’s survival. Publicly-owned utilities are the solution. Municipal systems already prove that rates can be lower and service more accountable when profit isn’t the priority.

We call for accountability, transparency, and change. The people cannot continue to shoulder unchecked corporate greed while essential needs are treated as luxuries.

We will not stand by quietly while our families freeze, starve, and fall into homelessness. Enough is enough. Vote with your bills in hand. Vote for change.

Taylor Perry