If you’re a Boston resident, you may already be on a cheaper, greener electricity plan without realizing it. The City of Boston operates a program called Boston Community Choice Electricity (BCCE), a not-for-profit municipal electricity program that buys power in bulk and passes the savings to residents and small businesses.

About 65% of all Boston ratepayers are enrolled. Since 2021, BCCE customers have saved an average of $200 per year compared to the standard utility rate, totaling nearly $260 million in savings across the city. That’s real money, and it takes about two minutes to sign up if you aren’t already enrolled.

Here’s everything you need to know.

What Is BCCE and How Does It Work?

Your electricity bill has two separate charges: supply and delivery. Eversource delivers your electricity and handles billing no matter what. BCCE only changes who supplies your electricity, and at what price.

The City of Boston negotiates electricity rates with a private supplier (currently Direct Energy) through a competitive bidding process. Because the City is buying for more than 200,000 households and businesses at once, it gets a better rate than any individual account could. Those savings get passed directly to you.

The Three Plans

BCCE offers three plan options. Current rates are locked through December 2027, so no surprise spikes in the next two years regardless of what happens to Eversource’s rates (which change every 3-6 months).

Green 100 rate: The City publishes this in their online enrollment form. Visit boston.gov/bcce or call 617-635-2331 for the current figure. Sources: City of Boston, December 2025.

At the Standard rate, BCCE is currently saving Boston residents roughly $0.01 per kWh compared to Eversource. On a typical household using 600 kWh per month, that’s about $6/month or $72/year just from the rate difference, on top of protection from Eversource’s rate volatility.

Are You Already Enrolled?

New Eversource Basic Service accounts are automatically enrolled in BCCE and receive a notification letter from the City. But many Boston residents have fallen through the cracks, especially anyone who switched suppliers at some point or has an older account.

How to Enroll

If you’re not enrolled yet, signing up is free and there are no penalties to join or leave at any point. Here’s how:

1. Fill out the online form at boston.gov/bcce. This is the fastest option.
2. Call Direct Energy (BCCE’s supplier) at855-402-5868and ask to be enrolled.
3. Email the BCCE team at [email protected] or schedule a 1-on-1 appointment if you have questions first.

Note: enrollment typically takes up to two billing cycles to take effect. You’ll see the change on your Eversource bill once it’s active.

If You Have a Supply Block on Your Account

A supply block is an account security measure that prevents supplier changes. If your account has one, you won’t be auto-enrolled. To remove it: call Eversource at 1-800-592-2000, ask to remove the supply block, wait 48 hours, then enroll using the form above.

If You’re Currently with a Third-Party Supplier

Call your current supplier and ask about early termination fees. If there are none, you can switch at your next meter read at no cost. If there are fees, ask them to waive it and get a confirmation number. Then enroll in BCCE. The City’s BCCE team (617-635-2331) can help you through this process.

What Stays the Same After Enrolling

Switching to BCCE does not affect any of the following:

• Your Eversource delivery charges (same as before)
• Any low-income delivery rate or payment plan you currently have
• Your solar net metering credits
• Any enrollment in Mass Save, HEAP, Shut-Off Protection, or other assistance programs

The Renewable Energy Side of BCCE

Massachusetts law requires electricity suppliers to provide customers with at least 63% renewable electricity, 27% of which must come from Massachusetts Class I RECs (Renewable Energy Certificates). Class I RECs represent electricity generated after 1997 using clean sources like solar, wind, small hydro, and geothermal located within New England.

BCCE’s Standard plan surpasses the state’s Class I requirement by 15%. The Green 100 plan surpasses it by 73%, and its voluntary RECs exclude carbon-emitting sources entirely (no landfill methane, no biomass).

RECs are the standard accounting system used across the industry to track renewable generation. When you buy a REC, you (and only you) hold the claim to that renewable electricity. It’s how virtually all electricity suppliers deliver renewable energy in a grid where all power mixes together.

Between 2021 and 2024, BCCE reduced Boston’s collective carbon footprint by nearly 200,000 tons of CO2, equivalent to taking approximately 46,000 gasoline-powered vehicles off the road for a year.

Small Business Enrollment

Boston small businesses and commercial accounts can enroll if their annual usage is under 2 million kWh per year (the City recently raised this cap from 1.5 million). Tax-exempt businesses must submit a copy of the Small Business Energy Exemption (Form SBE) to Direct Energy separately:

• Email: [email protected]
• Fax: 800-504-7428
• Mail: Direct Energy, Attn: USN Tax Exemption, PO Box 180, Tulsa, OK 74101-0180

Watch Out for Scams and Predatory Suppliers

Predatory third-party electricity suppliers are a serious problem in Boston. They often approach residents door-to-door or by phone with low introductory rates that increase sharply later, then charge high termination fees to leave. The Massachusetts Attorney General has found that customers on these contracts routinely end up paying more than Eversource’s Basic Service rate. These suppliers disproportionately target low-income residents, seniors, and communities of color.

If your Eversource bill shows a supplier name you don’t recognize, contact the BCCE team before signing anything or making any changes.

Key Contacts

• Website: boston.gov/bcce
• BCCE team: 617-635-2331 or [email protected]
• Direct Energy (supplier): 855-402-5868
• City of Boston 311
• Energy savings programs: boston.gov/energy or boston.gov/save (617-635-7283)