Massachusetts Electric seeks rate reduction

The Massachusetts Electric Co. is asking the Department of Telecommunications and Energy to reduce its rates, as of Jan. 1. The company in announcing its request said that for the average customer using 500 kilowatt hours, the reduction would mean more than a three percent cut in the monthly electric bill. The proposal is the result of revised cost estimates based on actual expenditures over the last 12 months. Massachusetts Electric has about 1.2 million customers in 168 communities throughout the state. It is a distribution subsidiary of National Grid, which is based in Massachusetts.